Fae'th and Consequences
by nypinta
Summary: When the former Ash seeks out Bo's help he entices her to comply by offering her the one thing she can't resist: freeing Lauren from the manipulations of the fae for good. **Although this story is completed I am tweaking some sections.**
1. Chapter 1

1

A shaft of late day sun cuts through the dark bar as another customer enters, causing the patrons inside trying to party like it's 2AM and not just the 8:30 PM that it is to blink against the light. It reaches the feet of two women sitting at a table, surrounded by a sea of happy, eager twenty-somethings, before it's cut off again by the heavy door closing. Ignoring the revelers around her, Bo rolls a shot glass between her hands while watching the face of the woman across from as the Valkyrie is eyeing the crowd with an intoxicating mix of bemusement and disdain that, Bo notes, only she could pull off. Realizing what she just thought about Tamsin while they're trying to get drunk, Bo giggles. Despite the noise in the bar being three levels louder than an ongoing train wreck, Tamsin turns to her at the sound of Bo's laughter with brows brought together in slight annoyance.

"Ha. You're intoxicating!" Bo repeats aloud. Tamsin rolls her eyes.

"No. You're intoxica_ted_." She looks at the grinning succubus and eyes her with a mix of disappointment and annoyance, but just as it turns to sadness she searches for something to distract herself and goes back to looking at everyone else in the place but Bo.

Bo sighs, wondering why she invited Tamsin for a night out on the town. But despite her coldness, Bo notices that for the first time in weeks Tamsin had gone to greater lengths in appearance, putting her hair up in something more complicated then the loose half hearted twist she had been sporting of late. Studying her more closely, letting her eyes trace the Valkyrie's profile, Bo even notices she is wearing make up again. With a small pang of sorrow she realizes it's in the shades Kenzi had helped her pick out while Tamsin was "growing up" into this, her last, life cycle.

Suddenly feeling very lonely while being surrounded by a crush of college aged bodies despite it still being day light out, Bo finds herself desperate to get Tamsin's attention on her and on why they are there; which is to celebrate Kenzi, even though Bo herself doesn't really feel like celebrating someone she isn't ready to let go of. As if the very act of remembering Kenzi in the past tense was an admission that she might never see her again. And that was a chasm Bo wasn't ready to stare into just yet.

"Do dna!" Bo says loudly and with enthusiasm, thinking, 'fake it till you make it, baby', while raising the glass to her companion before throwing it back in one gulp.

Tamsin shrugs off the odd toast, and raises her own glass, "To moms," she says with sorrow and respect, and tosses hers back as well. Both women slam their empty glasses down in unison to join the rest of the empties that sit between them. They've been in the bar for a while, yet the alcohol refuses to sooth either of their emotional pains even while both stubbornly refuses to each other they are burdened with them. Bo slumps forward slightly under the weight of her sadness.

Finally deciding to embrace the farce, Tamsin looks at Bo, who is now scanning the crowd without any actual interest and asks, "What does that mean?"

Bo turns to her and smiles fondly at the memory. "Something Kenzi taught me. 'To the bottom', meaning to drink to the bottom of the glass, but she also said it meant I should never stop fighting for what makes me happy."

"If this is about you going into Valhalla again, Bo, I…"

"No. It's not that. I don't want to talk about that."

"Then what?"

Finally Bo decides to just dive in and admits, "I just miss her so much, Tamsin. I feel lost without her."

Tamsin nods in agreement, but says nothing.

Unable to probe that particular pain anymore, Tamsin turns to see if she can flag down the waitress and order another round when the crowd parts and she spots a man, staring intently at the two of them. She wonders if the phrase, "tall, dark, and handsome" was invented just to describe him. He clearly didn't fit in with the regular crowd so she isn't surprised when he starts to make his way to their table and then she realizes his eyes have not left Bo. Typical, she thinks to herself and sighs.

"Bo, you wouldn't happen to be hungry would you?" Tamsin tries teasing, "Because a 5 course meal is headed this way."

Bo grumbles. "I'm not really in the mood," she says miserably.

Finally really looking at Bo, Tamsin notes Bo's pallor and grows instantly concerned, annoyed with herself for not seeing it sooner, "When was the last time you fed?"

Bo turns to look at her, and starts to mentally count, then gives up. "I don't know," she practically whines, the scotch finally doing its job and dulling her senses.

"Lauren…?" Tamsin starts to ask.

"Not yet. I can't." Bo shakes her head and repeats, "Not yet." Tamsin lets it drop.

"Well, I think you might change your mind about 'mood' when you see this guy," she tries, hopeful.

Bo starts to brighten in anticipation. She is hungry. "Yeah..?" She turns to see her quarry, and her face falls. "Oh shit."

"Succubus... it is good to see you are well," The former Ash, leader of the Light fae, says smoothly. He's casually, yet impeccably dressed, in a cream colored crew neck sweater and charcoal slacks. Everything about him is tailored, & precise, with exception to a curved scar from his temple to his jaw, a scar he received thanks to Bo's mother, Aife.

Bo's lips twists with anger and she snarks, "Wish I could not say the same about you."

"I come to beg a favor," he says, ignoring her venom.

"Oh, I don't think you ever have to beg for anything." Tamsin comments while eyeing him with appreciation.

The Ash returns the look but says with clear regret, "I have urgent business with Ms. Dennis. " He turns his full attention to Bo, "May we go someplace more private. My request should not be discussed out in the open in… this bar."

"You mean human. In this human bar." Bo says, somewhat testily. He says nothing.

Tamsin rolls her eyes and then dismisses herself by saying with false regret, "Sorry, but I see a six pack at the bar calling my name. You two have a good night," she finishes with as much insincerity as she can muster. Weakly, Bo tries to grab Tamsin's arm before she leaves the table, but the Valkryie is too swift and disappears in the crowd before Bo can protest.

Shocked that Tamsin would leave her Bo finally turns back to the former Ash, "And why do you think I would help you with anything?"

"Because, succubus, I can help you free Lauren from the fae for good."

2

Lauren is curled up in the corner of the couch in her new apartment, the first she has found on her own in almost a decade, completely engrossed in one of the journals the Morrigan had gifted her with several months before. Desiring something as far removed from the fae as possible she chose a place in a high rise close to the lakes edge in an area she knew wasn't claimed by either Light or Dark fae. Although it was smaller than her two previous apartments, it was open and from her vantage point, should she choose to look up from the book in her lap, she could see every corner of the living space and nothing would be able to sneak up on her with her seeing. It was a small comfort, but one she clung too. Especially since her actions against Evony, the Morrigan, put a target on her back; actions she was inspired to attempt by the very science supplied to her by the Morrigan in the journal she now holds. Although Lauren would never admit it to anyone else, the irony of that amused her a great deal.

In the months she spent as a human asset of the Dark, Lauren pondered why Evony had gone to such great lengths to retrieve her and then woo her to join them. Once she set aside the given motivation of using Lauren to sway Bo to align with the Dark, she could only conclude Evony had gotten reports of what it was Taft had been able to accomplish with Lauren's help at his compound. Combined with the fae leader offering Lauren several diaries by legendary and well respected scientists, all with transformation as the theme of their work, Lauren had to ask if it was a not so subtle nudge in a particular direction that Evony wanted her to take with her research for the Dark. Was she after the protocol to turn humans fae? And if so, why?

She put aside trying to fathom anything Evony did and dove back into the book in her lap. In weeks since her recent, (and latest), break from the fae, Lauren has realized that silence was too uncomfortable for her and had taken to playing her Star Trek DVDs practically on a loop. Even now she leaves the TV on as she reads, the reflection of it marring her south east facing view of the lake as the shadows from the city's skyline stretch long onto the lake that is glowing with reflected the light of sun as it hangs just about an hour above setting.

"I protest! I am not a merry man!" an indignant voice from the TV declares.

"Way to be Captain Obvious, Worf," Lauren mutters as she turns a page in the worn journal. She fingers a page and then brings the journal closer to her face, eyes narrowing as she tries to make out the faded handwriting, mouthing the words as she reads, committing them to memory.

A knock at the door interrupts her study. She puts the book aside, her interest in its contents completely gone. Practicing a smile to greet the forlorn fae with, Lauren hits the button next to the door frame that activates a screen on her door that shows whoever is on the other side. He smile instantly drops when she sees who it is. Not Bo, but a man with sandy brown hair, soft brown eyes, and slightly disheveled but quality clothes. Despite her swift change in mood, she opens the door without hesitation.

He smiles tentatively and says, "Hey kiddo."

"Lucas?" She stares at him, unsure what to say next. Several things play across her face: shock, worry, anger, guilt, and finally relief. She throws her arms around him. Then pulls back and starts to babble questions. He laughs, also relieved, unsure how she would react to seeing him.

"Can I come in? It's a bit... open out here?" She notes, and understands now more than ever, his furtive looks down the hall.

"Yes. Yes, come in. Of course, come in."

"Thanks Kay."

"I go by Lauren now."

"Yes. Right. Sorry. Uh…I see you're doing well." She ducks her head, almost ashamed of how well her life seems to be when it appears his isn't. She looks him over quickly. His clothes were worn, but clean. He looked fit, healthy, but well-traveled. His face was so much older than she was prepared for. Seeing the years that they spent apart, all the life of his she's missed, clearly written on the face of her brother makes her breath catch for a moment.

"Are you?" She asks, hesitantly.

It's his turn to duck his head. Then he looks up, letting the truth sit plain on his face: fear, confusion, and hope. "I don't know what I am." He struggles to find the words. She takes his hand.

"Come. Sit. I think a drink might be in order."

He allows her to lead him towards a kitchen table and then turns away from him as she pulls out two glasses and a bottle of something dark and comforting. She pours a generous amount in each glass. She places one in front of him with a significant look.

"Start at the beginning," she says with more calm then she feels.

"I don't even know where to begin ...Lauren." The name doesn't roll off his tongue easily. They both smile at the awkwardness.

"Where have you been?" she prompts, "I haven't heard from you for six years." The last is less rebuke than it is just a matter of fact.

"Ahh… you know. Here, there. Fighting the good fight," he says with false lightness. Her face tightens. He still believed, even after what happened that what they had been trying to do was worth the cost. She brushes it aside this time, not wanting to start another fight, but not before he catches a glimpse of the anger on her face.

He holds up a hand in surrender. "Sorry." He takes a long pull from his glass, gathering his thoughts. "After my last letter to you I went to Ecuador to help organize water rights protests. You should have been there. It was beautiful. We were able to help support the organizing of nearly 10,000 indigenous people. But I can't believe…" He starts to wind up for a good rant, but Lauren places her hand on his arm. He smiles in apology, "Right. Ah, I stayed there until 2013 when I traveled to Syria."

"Oh Lucas," she mutters, but lets him continue.

"I know it's not my usual conflict. But it's a mess." He swallows hard. "I've never seen anything like it. I wasn't prepared, to be honest." He takes another pull from the glass to stall, then when his nerves finally calm he continues, "I was working with a group that would secure passage for refugees. We had a convoy making its way through the Idlib province when we got caught between the FSA and Assand's forces. I was able to get most of the people in our van under cover, and we cowered for what seemed hours, just hoping the bullets would stop flying, but then this noise... it was…" he swallows hard again, "I heard screaming…. The militia were being overwhelmed," he stops, closes his eyes a moment and finally adds, "but not by men," he hisses. He learns forward and grabs her arm, his panic making his grip tighten painfully. She places her hand atop his but doesn't try to remove his hand.

He continues, his voice growing stronger, "They started out looking like men, but they changed. I saw it, Kay." His fear kept her from correcting him. "I'm not crazy. They changed into wolves. I swear to god! They tore those men apart. And they saw me, Kay. They saw me and I've never been so terrified in my life."

He pauses, for a moment his eyes are distant as he falls into the memory. Slowly his eyes focus on her and he shrugs. "But then they just walked away. I thought 'maybe I didn't matter to them. They got what they came for.' But a few days later, I saw one of them. I don't know how I recognized him. Maybe it was the look in his eyes or the way he just smirked at me. But he was one of them. And a few days later I saw another. And another," his voice rises with panic. "They just kept watching me."

"And you came here?" She asked, deadpan. Not angry. Maybe she was too stunned to be angry with him. He was always so calm, always knew what to do. For him to be so afraid and to make such a mistake... it scared her more than his story.

He takes a moment to calm himself again and then assures her, "It's alright. They didn't follow me."

"How do you know?" she says, full of skepticism.

"Because they offered me a job," he says, and then laughs. It sounded hollow. "Three of them caught up with me in Turkey. They wanted me to join them. But Kay, I don't think it's something I get to refuse. They granted me time." His voice nearly breaks on the word 'granted' and a chill runs down Lauren's spin and her arms. "I didn't know what to do. I had nowhere else to go."

She pours him another drink. He downs it hurriedly, and then takes a deep breath with his eyes closed. Slowly he opens them, almost afraid to look at his sister, but he sees her looking at him, her face calm, and sad. "You believe me." She nods her head silently, her eyes tearing up. "Jesus, Kay."

After a long pause, and a decision made, she says, "They were shifters. They weren't offering you a job. They're trying to claim you."

3

"Make yourself at home," Bo says, not meaning it at all. The Ash follows her into the abandoned house she calls home.

He looks around, slightly bemused. Bo notes it and raises an eyebrow. He says, lying, "How quaint."

"Really. You came here to just to judge my place?" But before he can say anything more she rolls her eyes and cuts to the chase, "Now. About Lauren. Start talking."

"First, we should discuss the issue I need you to resolve."

"And why should I do that? Resolve anything I mean."

"Because it is you that has set it in motion."

"Me?" She scoffs, and turns her back on him as she heads to the kitchen. Speaking over her shoulder she says, " You and the rest of the fae have been acting like the world is your personal Dungeons and Dragons game for centuries. I didn't ask to be dragged into it."

"But you are in it. And there are consequences for every action. You have been told this, yet you refuse to accept this notion. It has cost you dearly."

Bo turns to face him, a bottle and two glasses in her hands. The hurt she feels over Kenzi's loss and her own guilt for it plain on her face.

"But you can prevent another great tragedy now," he continues.

"What tragedy?" She says warily as she walks over and sits on the chair across from the couch on which he has taken up position. She puts the glasses on the makeshift coffee table and starts to pour the wine.

"My home and my clan face a grave danger. A danger you set free."

Bo assumes he is talking about her father. She looks up, "We closed the portal," she says, still thinking of that cost to do so.

"It was not then. This enemy was cursed by a shaman of great power. Many fae, both Light and Dark, sacrificed themselves to cage them so they could do no more harm. Then a girl," he emphasizes the word with annoyance, "pulled the key from its lock. You pulled their nail."

Bo recalls her journey to the Congo to undo Nadia's curse. A curse the man before her placed, just to make a human doctor his slave. Bo's face contorts into righteous anger. The Former Ash straightens his back in response.

"I went there to save Nadia. A girl," she emphasizes the word, mocking him, "you put into a coma to keep Lauren."

"No, succubus. I did not curse the girl. I cursed Nadia Killick, host of a garuda. Of whom you set him free as well."

Bo is stunned for a moment. "Is there anything that isn't my fault?"

"You assign blame on yourself too easily. You had a part, one that you were not aware you were playing."

"Isn't that the fae way?"

He ignores her. "My successor had chosen wisely when he entrusted that you could finally defeat our ancient enemy. He was apparently unaware of your impulsiveness as you freed those no one was prepared for."

"Have you guys tried not cursing so many people so this sort of thing wouldn't happen?" She says with some exasperation, then continues more seriously, "So Lachlan sent me on purpose knowing I'd free that winged freak?"

The former Ash nods, "Despite being imprisoned in Ms. Killick, his influence was beginning to spread. If he was left to fester inside her, he would grow too strong to defeat. Lachlan had to act quickly. Even during my tenure I could feel the garuda's presence. That was one of the reasons why I had gathered the elders when your mother gifted me with this," he motions with one hand towards his scar, one he received when her mother sent a human under her thrall to bomb the Ash's compound.

"It was never a quest to free Lauren then." She says dismayed, annoyed all over again, and even a little disheartened. She thought she had gotten to know the deceased Ash and had given him credit for his willingness to save the fae, even when they didn't seem to interested in saving themselves.

"A doctor that talented is an asset any leader would be a fool to let go of," He says with a touch of something Bo wasn't sure of, but it was the closest to contrition she's ever heard from him.

"Is that regret?"

"I do not take delight in many of my necessary actions as Ash in order to protect our kind, but I would do them again."

She leans back, takes a sip of her wine as she turns over in her mind the differences she is now realizing exist between him and Lachlan. The naga always made Bo feel like Lauren was an object, a thing. He used flowery words but they were all an ends to means. Was this any different? She looked at the former Ash, sitting on her sofa, holding a glass of wine in his hand. Yes. With him there was sincerity. But did that make him better? And he was no longer the Ash. She could feel that difference in him. He was more relaxed. He wasn't trying to impose his will. He was asking for help. She relaxes her anger slightly, her mind made up. "If I am going to help you, I think I should know your name."

"Elek."

"Well, Elek," she says more warmly as she pours more wine, "I'm going to need the whole story."

He relaxes back into her couch and begins, "Since the beginning the fae have been in conflict. As you know, the garuda fed off that energy: anger, chaos, and fear. They did their best to keep any conflict going beyond its natural course."

"Yes, until they were starved because of the Blood Laws." Bo says, taking a sip of her wine, then putting it down on the table, focusing all her attention on Elek.

"The Blood King's actions did lead to the final destruction of the garuda" he agrees, "but it wasn't the first time they had nearly been destroyed. Many years before there was another race of fae, fierce warriors and protectors of humans, called pixies."

"Was?" She asks, one brow rising.

"The ones that name themselves pixies now only do so in homage to the former formidable race." He takes a sip of wine, then continues, "At the height of their power the pixies, unlike most other fae, favored humans and their one desire was to help and protect the weakling race."

"Hey," she protests.

He ignores her, "They fought for them, both as warriors and advocates. Ultimately they sought a coexistence of all the races and were on the brink of achieving their goal, which could have starved the garuda out of existence."

"My kind of fae", Bo says.

He continues, "To ensure their own survival, the garuda set the orion on the pixies to hunt them into extinction. Even the greatest of the pixies were destroyed, the "seven sisters".

The Orion, pixies, 'seven sisters'… Bo's head swims with ancient Greek mythology come to life, again as with most fae stories, completely different than anything she had heard or read while growing up with the humans.

"The orion are the greatest hunters in the fae realm. They are relentless and determined. The garuda knew that without the influence of the pixies the fae would again turn on humans and one another in battles for territory and power."

"Typical."

"Eventually small disputes and skirmishes for territory were not enough. Then the great fae war began, feeding the garuda till they were bloated with our hate but never satiated. It was only through the creation and adherence to the Blood Laws that they were finally weakened. But they were not destroyed, and the fae elders did not know how to find them. However we did know where the orion were and both sides, for a short time, came together to find them and keep them from reuniting with their masters and from ever harming the fae again. My clan, dryads, led by The Elgon, my father, created The Hunt. Fae of both Light and Dark were united in the task. But weary of bloodshed, my father proposed cursing the orion instead, to entomb them away rather than be killed. They were kept in their prison for 1000 years, until you, succubus, pulled their nail."

"And let me guess. They want revenge."

"They seek it against the clan most responsible for their imprisonment. But my fear is not for my people alone. They will not stop at destroying the dryads. They will want to find and kill the Blood King. They will seek to destroy the Blood Laws and all that we have gained will be lost. It is not just the fae that will suffer, but humanity as well. Something that I think is of special interest to you."

Bo sighs. "I hope it isn't total destruction you are asking me for, because that isn't really my thing."

"Nor mine. I have no desire to see another race obliterated from this world. Unlike many of my brethren, I have learned from the past. But I need time. And I need you to prevent them from starting conflict that cannot be ignored by the rest of the fae."

"Great!" she says more chipper than she feels, "Where do I start?"

"Trick."

Bo's brow furrows.

"As acting Ash, he will have access to the archives and perhaps a clue as to how they plan to seek their revenge. Discover the how and you may discover where they are."

"And when I do?"

He stands to leave, their meeting apparently over. Bo stands as well, not desiring to be looked down up in her own home.

"Stall," he says.

"And what will you be doing?" She asks.

"I have my own quest. To seek the assistance of Ursa, a janus fae, the only fae that is both Light and Dark. She is a great mediator."

"How is being both Light and Dark any different than unaligned?" Bo asks, almost annoyed to find out there was a fae with that distinction, and that someone like the former Ash regarded it with such respect.

"She works for the fae's best interests," He says with reverence and then smiles sardonically, "While you often find yourself working on the behalf of humanity," he finishes, as if the sheer idea still baffles him. Before Bo can respond he inclines his head towards her and walks away without another word.

"Ok then," she says to herself, and sits back down heavily. As soon as he passes through the door she pulls out her phone and calls Lauren. It goes to voice mail. "Hey Lauren. Just thinking about you. Give me a call when you can." She sits back down and is about to toss her phone on the table when she has a second thought. She hits another contact.

"Hey, Dyson. Uh.. I know it's late, but do you think you could check on Lauren for me?"

"Any reason why you are concerned?"

"No," she admits reluctantly. "Just a feeling I have."

"Bo," he begins, but she cuts him off with a sigh.

"I know, it's a lot to ask. I'm probably over reacting. It's just since that day…" she trails off.

"I understand. I'll check in on the good doc."

4

"I think I can help you," Lauren says intently. She turns to walk away, but he stops her.

"Lauren," he says, the name said with more ease this time, perhaps because he's seeing his sister in a whole new light, "What have you gotten yourself into?"

She hesitates and smiles sadly, "It's a long story, Luke. But I'm no stranger to the fae." She walks away, and he watches as she gathers stacks of journals and a lap top. While her back is turned, her phone buzzes softly and the display lights up. Almost by instinct he leans forward and looks at the screen and sees an image of a beautiful brunette. He pushes the option to ignore the call and shuts off the phone. He looks up and Lauren is still facing away from him. She turns and brings her stash with her, then puts it all down, careful not to drop the laptop.

"The who? And what's all this?" he asks gesturing to her burdened, now splayed across the table.

"Research. Reference."

He begins flipping through the pages of the book, his eyes going wide. He looks up, shock on his face. "How many of them are there?"

"The actual population is relatively small compared to humanity, but the varieties seem infinite. Just when I think I've cataloged them all, another makes itself known." He notes a touch of admiration in her voice.

"How long have you been…?" He doesn't know how to finish the sentence.

"Claimed? Seven years. I'm not sure what my status is now, actually. But I refuse to be owned anymore." She says, resolute. "First thing we need to do is identify the wolves you saw. I may not be a claimed human anymore, but I do have friends. They might be able to intercede on your behalf."

He looks skeptical, but flips through the books anyhow. She opens the lap top and starts typing away with determination. She takes one of the books from him and flips to a section and holds it out for him, "These are the wolf shifter clans. Did you see anything that can identify which clan? The fae often employ branding."

He flips through the pages, feeling like a victim searching through mug shot books. Eventually he makes it to the end. "No, nothing. But the one did have a pendant, on a choker. It had this thing on it... it kind of looked like…" and he takes a pen and starts to draw in a blank space. A straight line with several perpendicular lines coming off of it on one side.

She looks at it, stunned. "They're Light."

"What does that mean?"

"The fae are divided into two major groups. Light and Dark. The wolves you saw were Light." She brings up something on her laptop. "And I know one of them." She turns the laptop around and on the page is an image of Dyson with text to the side.

"He wasn't one of them," Lucas says with certainty.

"I know. He's a local. But he belonged to a clan of shifters long ago that have since branched out into the private security market."

"Like home alarm systems?" He says with skepticism.

"No. Like Blackwater. Private armies, at a price. But from what I had read of them they seemed honorable. It was run by a Light King and his Fairy Queen. I actually knew her."

She returns her focus to her lap top, starts to read. "Oh," she says after scanning a few pages.

"What?"

"They're under new management," she says softly. "Since the CEO succumbed to an unnamed illness and his wife died a few months later in a 'car accident', the company's focus shifted from private security for emissaries and ambassadors to bulking up the armies of oppressors."

He sighs, "I don't think your friends can help me anyhow. They want an answer by tomorrow."

She takes a deep breath, paces a bit as she walks. "No, that's not enough time. But it's not our only option," she says intently.

"No?"

She stops and looks directly in to his eyes, trying to convey how serious she is, "I have an idea. But it's a last resort. It could be extremely dangerous."

"I don't like admitting it, kiddo, but I'm terrified. I'll do anything."

She nods. "Can you buy some time with them? Maybe ask for a meeting and ask for a few more days to decide?"

He sighs and shrugs, "I can try."

"But I need you to do something," she says urgently, "I need you to get something."

"Anything," he says with a whisper. "What?"

She pauses then says slowly, "I need their DNA."

He pauses, and then says, "Why?"

"They can't claim you if they aren't fae."

He stares at her, stunned. "Whoa. You can do that?"

"I know it will be hard," she says, and turns to stack the books. He touches her arm. A warm glow emanates from his hand into her. She turns to look at him, puzzled. "How… are you…?"

"Shhh…"

She closes her eyes for a moment. As she stands, unable to move, he pulls from the travel bag a small metal box, and he places it on the counter.

"You have DNA samples, Lauren," he says in a low soothing voice. "I called you about my problem days ago and you asked me to bring the samples with me."

"… With you…" she says quietly, then opens her eyes, shakes her head slightly and says clearly, "Did you bring the samples I asked for?"

He taps the box. "It wasn't easy. But I don't understand how you can turn a fae human?"

Going into science mode she doesn't noticed Lucas slump back for a moment, she replies somewhat absently, "Well. Most fae are actually closer related to plants than then are humans. Just like all life, they need to feed. Unlike humans, fae can get their sustenance from various sources of energy. I was able to alter their cell respiration blocking their ability to feed, activate the DNA sequence for aging, and then add chromosomes to the same number as a human. So far I've used a serum that needs to be ingested to deliver the catalyst for DNA sequence restructuring but it isn't the serum itself. That just contains nanobots that deliver the tailor made altered DNA into the nucleus to recode the original DNA on a cellular level. I could just inject the nanobots." Lost in the science, she smiles to herself. "And I've been working on a way to make it into an aerosol."

"You want to weaponize it?"

Her smile fades, "It's not a weapon. It's an equalizer."

"Hey, I'm not judging. No one should have that kind of exploitive power over anyone else."

She hesitates, not completely disagreeing but not sure how to explain. "Not all do, Lucas. But there are exceptions." She pauses and looks him directly in the eyes so he would understand, "I only created this serum after someone had declared war on humans."

He smiles. "While you worked for them," he points out.

"I did," she says with a nod of her head.

"So what you're saying is…" he smiles a bit mischievously, "You're like a spy."

She tries to reign in his sometimes childlike enthusiasm for subterfuge and rebellion. She sighs. "It was a last resort," she says repeating the phrase.

"My sister!" he says with pride, "I've been trying to save the world from the dangers we all know but some ignore. And here you are actually saving the world from a secret society of the supernatural! I should start calling you Scully."


	2. Chapter 2

5

"I'd ask you to make it a double, Trick, but I have no idea why you are still behind that bar," Bo says as she strides into the Dal.

"I am still the way station keeper," Trick reminds her.

"Even while you're the acting Ash?" She asks, seating herself at the bar in front of where he stands. There are quite a few fae seated at the bar and the tables throughout the pub, all in good spirits. Perhaps it's the idea of being served by their new (yet temporary) fae leader that amuses them.

"It's been surprisingly uneventful these past few weeks. Basically, I got bored."

"Then I'm just in time."

Trick puts a glass in front of Bo and starts to pull a bottle to fill it.

"Ah. I'll have to pass," she says, waving off the offered drink.

"Uh oh."

"I'm on a mission. From the former Ash."

"He's here? In this county?"

"He was about an hour ago. Why?"

"I am the way station keeper," he repeated.

Bo looks at him blankly.

"All fae are supposed to declare their presence here," he says pointedly.

Bo continues to look at him blankly. He understands it's not because she doesn't know what he means, she simply doesn't care.

"Never mind," he sighs. "What can I help you with, if it isn't a drink?"

"I need to know everything about fae called orion and what they could possibly have planned against Elek's family."

Trick's face falls. "Bo. What exactly did he ask you to do?"

"Stop them from mass murdering his clan and rampaging through the rest of fae that betrayed them. Save everyone. Just Sunday night type stuff."

"How is that possible? And why wasn't I informed?"

Bo looks at him, puzzled.

"Acting Ash," he hisses, with growing frustration.

Down the bar a fae pounds the bar and slurs drunkenly. "Barkeep! Another round!"

"Got a customer, Ash," Bo says with a smile.

Trick glowers as he pours from the tap, and then thumps down a pitcher of beer in front of the fae with a look that tells him to not even consider ordering another. The fae sobers up, takes the pitcher, and walks away quickly. Trick stomps back and stands in front of his granddaughter and says nothing but raises one brow expectantly.

She sighs then explains, "It seems that when I was asked by Lachlan to remove the cursing nail that kept Nadia in her coma I may have pulled a few extra nails," Trick sighs, so Bo finishes in a hurry, "and accidently set an entire group of angry fae free from imprisonment. And now they're hell bent on revenge."

"Bo." Trick says.

"Look. I get it! I messed up. But I'm going to fix it. But it would be helpful if I had any idea where to start."

He calms down but says, "I'm afraid I might not be of any use to you. I haven't heard anything, not even rumors, about any orion being on the move. If they're planning something, I have no idea what it could be or where they could be."

At that moment one of the pages that worked for Trick in his capacity as acting Ash was at Bo's elbow. His face is pale and he hesitates before speaking.

"What is it?"

"Sir. There is a delegation from clan Scyther here seeking an audience. I think they're…" he leans closer to Trick and whispers, "orion."

Bo and Trick look at each other with surprise.

"Well isn't that convenient," Bo says brightly. She stands up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Trick asks.

"To talk to them," she says with a slight bob of her head. The "duh" is implied.

"No. You can't. They've asked for an audience with the Ash. No one else can be present."

"Trick. Come on."

"Bo. I'll find out what they want. But you can't be there."

Trick turns and walks away. Bo watches him until he turns and corner, and then promptly follows.

She turns the corner and spots the fae positioning himself outside Trick's "audience chamber" which just a few months earlier was the rental hall for larger parties till Hale convinced Trick to let him redecorate as his base of operations. He side-eyes Bo warily.

"Hiya," she says with a wide smile.

"No," he says while trying very hard not to look directly at her.

"I didn't ask anything yet."

"No one is to disturb any audience between the Ash and his subjects," he says, as if reciting a command given many times.

"Subjects?" Bo repeats, starting to put the role Trick has taken on with what it really means together in her mind. "Aw come on. I just want a peek. I've never seen an orion before," she says with all the sweetness she can muster.

"No one has. Not in over 1000 years" the fae gulps as she moves closer.

"But you have," she says softly. Bo puts her hand on his, and smiles, "And lived to tell the tale. "  
>He stands straighter, more proud. "I did."<p>

Her power warms his arm, and then spreads throughout his body. "Would you deny me the same? Besides…" she points out, "he is my grandfather…"

"Well," he says while looking straight at her for the first time, "I don't see the harm." He moves aside to let Bo pass.

"Thanks," she says patting his cheek. "But let's keep this between you and me. It'll be," she lowers her voice and moves in close to whisper in his ear, having fun, "our secret."

He smiles goofily.

She slips into the room and her view of Trick and his company is blocked by intentionally placed planters. To the side is a coat check room, a sign of the banquet hall's former life. She peeks around the corner and sees that Trick's "throne" is directly in front of the wall of the coat check so she slips inside. The walls are thin, not built for durability, so she can hear Trick and the dangerous fae clearly.

They're already in heated debate.

"...the right by fae law. Laws you yourself wrote, Blood King. Even imprisoned we felt them burned into our blood. By those laws we demand justice! We demand the right to be exonerated! We demand our standing be returned!"

"Delius, You destroyed an entire race of fae!" Trick explodes, incredulous.

"The pixies aligned with humans," the ancient fae scoffs. Bo rolls her eyes.

"That was their choice, a choice given to all fae, even before my laws. They were still allies of the Light. Why would you think no one would care? Did you really think there would be no consequences?"

"We are not the monsters you believe us to be. We were at the mercy of the garuda. But we defied them. The seven sisters were not destroyed."

Trick is stunned. "Not destroyed? Then where….?"

"We had no choice," Delius continues, ignoring Trick's question. "The garuda had our children. They fed them amrita and forced us to be their slaves. The Hunt ignored our pleas for our children and cursed as without them. We wandered in the darkness of that prison not knowing their fate. It was worse than the blindness, the timelessness. We will not go back. If we are not permitted justice then we will have vengeance."

Trick realizes arguing will not work and instead tries appeasement. "By the laws you are allowed to make your case, but in order to do that you must surrender yourselves to the Light."

"Not until we find the rest of our children," he says, lying.

"What do you require?" Trick asks, knowing the other fae has no intention of ever turning himself or any of his clan to the Light.

"Aziel. And your word you will not interfere."

"Reluctantly I can give that latter. But it will take time to summon Aziel. You know how she can be."

"You have one passing of the sun," Delius replies, curtly.

Before Trick can agree the fae clan leader and his small delegation of two younger looking fae, one male and one female, depart from the room. Bo catches a glimpse of them as they pass. All three were tall, muscular, and wearing similar robes of grey. Their skin was pale but contrasted unnaturally to their dark eyes and hair. The woman pauses for just a moment and turns her head in Bo's direction and makes a strange series of low clicking noises. Bo holds as still as she can and eventually the pale fae moves on.

Bo releases her breath and slips out of the room before Trick can catch her hiding in his coat closet.

6

As Bo sits on the couch Trick is poking around in his things, digging through items in the farthest reaches of his lair. Eventually he pulls out a key. With the key he moves to an ornate cabinet with many drawers. The key turns, he pushes aside the cabinet. Behind where the cabinet stood is a small door in the wall. He grimaces for a moment, and then licks the lock. It pops open.

"Humans think they have cornered the market on biometric security," he says wryly.

Bo smiles, still surprised at the things the fae come up with.

"Not even Kenzi would have been able to pick that lock," Trick continues.

"I'm not so sure about that, Trickster," Bo says fondly. They both smile with a touch of sadness.

He opens the door and pulls out a cloth bag of rich fabric. Loosening the top he opens it and inside is a small flask.

"Really? Booze?"

He holds the flask up, "This is lux. Liquid enlightenment."

"I don't think those guys are looking for nirvana."

He sighs and then explains, "That isn't what it's for. You drink the lux so you can cross over into the favored dimension of Aziel, the last remaining original member of The Hunt. It also houses the Bharma Astra. A weapon of immense power."

"If they've been free for the past few years why did they wait till now to come to you?" Bo asks.

Trick thinks about it for a moment, and then says, "Perhaps they have been trying to find their children and this is a plan of last resort. As for it being today specifically, it is the day before the summer solstice. The day before, during, and after are the only days one can retrieve the weapon."

"So it is what they really want," Bo concludes, "You aren't planning on actually giving it to them, are you?"

"Of course not," he says, surprised she would even suggest it.

"But you also gave them your word you wouldn't interfere."

Trick looks at Bo, knowing she heard something she shouldn't have. Bo rolls her eyes.

"I'm not interfering," he explains, "You are."

"Wow. That's a thin line you're walking."

"It seems to be all I do these days," he mutters. "It is possible that they want to speak to Aziel so she can help locate their missing children but I can't take that chance. Although rare I am not the only one to possess lux. If they get it elsewhere and do intend on using it to retrieve the Bharma Astra, I'd rather it not be there at all."

Bo holds out her hand to take the flask and cracks, "Well, Wonderland awaits."

Trick holds it back for a moment, looking strained.

"What" Bo says somewhat impatiently, knowing she isn't going to like whatever he is going to say next.

"This is important, Bo. One cannot get to the realm where the Bharma Astra is without great cost, or through a place of great loss."

"What! Why?"

"The potential that the Bharma Astra represents is not something one should have easy access to."

Bo sighs. She knows where she has to go and she is not looking forward to it. She takes the flask with much less enthusiasm. Trick squeezes her hand in support as he passes it to her.

"Bo, you're not under any obligation to do this."

"No. Trick. I have to do this. It's my responsibility."

"You always take on too much on to yourself. Your grandmother was like that."

Trick starts to turn away. "What did he mean about the Blood Laws? That they were burned into everyone's blood?"

Trick hesitates before turning, but does so eventually with a sigh. "Writing laws is something anyone can do. But I wrote them with my essence. All fae are connected. Part of the effects of my blood is that it can alter reality. So as the laws were being written they changed all the fae alive at the time, including me. Unlike younger generations of fae, we don't just know the laws, Bo. We feel them, every day. It was also what gave the Una Mens their ability to know when a fae broke one of the laws and where they were."

"But they're gone now," Bo says with some grim pleasure.

"Yes. And for some reason I think that has weakened the laws. I don't feel them as strongly as I used to."

"Good," Bo replies.

"I'm not so sure. You've seen how the fae are when they are restrained by my blood. Imagine them with no boundaries."

Bo considers but says nothing.

"You should probably get going Bo. The orion are not going to wait the day to get what they need."

"One last thing. What is amrita?"

Trick's brow furrows.

"He said the garuda gave it to their children," she prompts.

"Ah. Nasty piece of work, that. They would feed it to anyone they wanted as their slaves. It would link them telepathically so escape wasn't possible and control was complete."

"What would have happened to them if the ones they were linked to died?"

Trick ponders. "I don't know."

"Is there any way you can find out?"

"I'll see what I can do." 


	3. Chapter 3

7

Bo pulls her car to a stop in front of the field where the battle to keep her father from escaping Hel took place. She sits for a moment, steadying her nerves, then gets out of the car with determination.

The place is deserted, as if the sadness keeps everyone away. The architecture is gone, including the portal. It's just a pile of stone now. She wonders if it isn't Trick's doing; an attempt by the acting Ash to wipe away the pain of that night. She smiles to herself slightly at the realization of just how easily Kenzi insinuated herself into the ancient fae's heart despite the centuries he had of being biased against humans. Kenzi truly was one of a kind.

Bo has trouble orientating herself without any makers and turns a few times, lost, but then notices a ring of sunflowers and knows it's the very spot Kenzi died, sacrificing herself to save Bo, to save everyone. She looks up at the clear blue sky as she tries to hold back her sorrow and focuses on the few clouds as they skitter towards the setting midsummer sun to glow in a combination of fierce pinks and yellows.

As Bo hesitates she recalls her human mother telling her of "the gloaming". The time right after the sun has set and you can see with the most clarity. She told Bo it was when the veil between this life and the next was at its thinnest. Bo decides maybe some human folklore is worth listening too and takes the lux right after the sun has gone down. It burns the inside of her mouth and throat but she drinks it all down anyhow. She considers for a moment tossing the flask dramatically, but figures Trick would want it back and instead tucks it into her boot.

"Now what?" She says to no one.

She turns slowly. Nothing happens. The lux is starting to make her feel warm and relaxed. Her thoughts start to wander. Thoughts she's been trying to keep in tight control since she lost Kenzi.

She flashes to the battle, and the anger begins to well up and nearly tears her apart, at Dyson for stopping her, at Kenzi for sacrificing herself and not telling Bo her plan, at her father, Rainer & Trick for their parts in an ages long fae conflict that seems so insignificant to Bo now, at Lauren, and at herself for choosing to go after the doctor instead of being there in time to stop Kenzi, for not being a better friend, for not having the strength to save her yet, and at Tasmin for taking Kenzi away.  
>"Damn it, Kenzi."<p>

Bo hates being here, at this place of her greatest loss, her greatest failure and without meaning to, while trying so hard not to, she sees Kenzi's face just as she turns to Bo before walking into the portal. Bo sees the tears on her face and her heart aches with a physical pain.

"Yo, Bo Bo. My death didn't revolve around you."

Bo turns and finds herself standing in an open field surrounded by low hills. It's predawn now but there are stars blazing overhead brighter than the coming sunrise and a luminescent fog swirls around their feet like tiny dancers at a fancy ball. Everything glows an unnatural green.

"Kenzi?"

"Wait. Actually, it kind of did," Kenzi points out.

"Oh my god, Kenzi! You're alive!" Bo rushes forward and grabs Kenzi in a hug.

"Are you drunk? Of course I'm not."

Bo shakes her head as if to clear it. "I don't understand."

"It's the lux. It taxes the psyche during inter-dimensional travel." Kenzi explains.

"What?"

"Memory gaps are normal. Don't worry. Cognitive function will return. Eventually."

Bo is startled. "Why do you sound like Lauren?"

"Seems one of the benefits of the afterlife is the unlimited capacity to know a bunch of shit."

"Oh. Goody." Bo says without meaning it.

Kenzi nods her head in solemn agreement. Then moves forward and grabs Bo by the upper arms in enthusiasm. "But I don't get to see what is going on with my besties and I am dying to know what the latest haps are! How are you, how's my Tam Tam? Dyson, Lauren? The Trickster?"

"Dying to know?" Bo repeats wryly.

"Give a ghost a break. I don't get much chance to try out new material."

Bo looks her over. Kenzi looks good. But maybe a bit too frantic. "How are you? Really?"

Kenzi sighs. "Bored out of my mind, Bo," she admits. "You have got to get me out of here." She moves closer and whispers, "There's no coffee."

"I'm working on it, Kenz. I promise."

"But you're not here now to bust me out of know-it-all-ville?"

Bo sighs. "I'm not. I'm here…"

"…to save the fae. Again." Kenzi finishes.

Bo sighs as guilt falls on her heavy.

"Kenzi…"

"Bo," Kenzi stops her, "I understand. You wouldn't be you if you weren't putting others before yourself."

"But I'm putting them before you."

"Only you would convince yourself that's true."

"Kenzi…"

"No, listen. I see a lot from here and it's not going to be as easy as waltzing in with a pair of seriously ugly ass mystical kicks. And you are going to need help."

"But I have help. I have Dyson and Tamsin, and Lauren…"

"I mean power, Bo. The fae consider your humanity your weakness. And it can be… because it's your greatest strength."

Bo starts to protest, confused, but Kenzi continues, "The fae… they've had centuries playing humans, playing on our weaknesses, our priorities. Priorities you still have. Your tendency to take things at face value and take on responsibility for things that aren't your fault, for starters. "

She grabs Bo by the arms again.

"They owe you, Bo. They owe you big and it's time to start collecting. It's time to start playing their own game against them. Starting with this. Starting with me."

Bo considers.

"They owe me big time too," Kenzi points out.

Bo smiles in understanding.

"That's my girl. Now, let's get what you really came for."

8

Together they walk a worn path as the fog swirls around their feet in dizzying patterns. The sun has come up, rising from the West and Bo is unnerved by the unnatural order of things. It feels like both an eternity and only moments have gone by when she realizes they are standing on a tile floor. Looking up she sees all around them a ring of white pillars stretching up to an open sky. The sunlight stops outside the circle as if the pillars are holding it back and starlight blazes in the sky directly above the structure. The air glows an eerie orange. In the distance, on a hilltop across a small plain, Bo sees a woman with long blonde, almost white hair. Despite the distance she can feel the woman's eyes on them.

Kenzi turns in the direction of Bo's gaze. "Oh. Her again, " she says casually.

"Who is she? She… she radiates power."

"Aziel. And that's because she is power incarnate."

"It's…" Bo sways a little, "… it's exhilarating." She takes a step forward, her eyes blazing blue.

"Whoa, whoa, eyes on the prize, missy," Kenzi says as she grabs Bo by her elbow and pulls her around to look at her.

Bo snaps back to the moment, puzzled and annoyed. She looks back and the woman is gone. She turns towards Kenzi again and sees behind her a large pillow in the middle of the room, on it a sleeping baby. Bo moves forward and smiles at the sleeping infant, entranced by it in a different way than she was just a moment ago.

"Who is this?" she asks in a whisper.

"What you came for."

"Wait… what?" she looks up at Kenzi. "A baby? This is the ultimate weapon?"

"Afraid so, sweat cheeks. Bo, meet the Bharma Astra. Overlord of Doom. Master of Destruction. Keeper of the double-you em deeyam is he adorable."

Bo looks back down at him. He is nestled on a white pillow with several embroidered radials of arrows. On his forehead is a simpler version that glows softly, four arrows pointing in opposite directions from a single point, "He is beautiful," Bo agrees quietly. She puts her finger in his tiny hand. The baby wakes up and smiles at Bo. She wiggles her eyebrows at him.

"Bo, be careful you don't…"

The baby starts to cry and the mark on his tiny forehead glows for a moment and then fades completely. Bo instinctively picks him up, starts to sway with him.

"…make him cry."

Bo turns to Kenzi. "What? Why?"

"You just activated him."

Bo freezes.

"Well, he's not going to go off now! But the timer has started."

Bo breathes a sigh of relief. "Damn it Kenzi…" she starts to laugh, then her face falls and she snuggles the baby close to her. "Damn it," she repeats with a small sob, "I miss you so much."

"I know," she says, tears forming in her own eyes, then smiles, "It's because I'm so damn awesome."

Bo laughs, and then says as seriously as she can, "I mean it. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, or for Hale. I'm sorry that my shit keeps getting in the way…"

"Bo. Stop. It's not your fault. I always expected too much of you. We all do."

"And I expected too little of you. I always thought I had to be the one to protect you, but you were the one always taking care of me. You're stronger than you think you are. Stronger than me. And I didn't notice. But I still need to fix this."

"And you will. You always do."

The baby stops crying. Bo looks down and she is shocked to see he is the size of a two year old and looking up at her with a wide smile. Bo looks up and starts to say something to Kenzi, but she's gone. Bo whirls a few times in a panic, looking for her.

"Kenzi! No. Kenzi!?" But she knows she's gone.

She shifts the weight of the child to her hip and he instinctively grabs her around the neck. She looks around, trying to figure out what to do when she notices the pillars at the opposite end of the path glow. She recognizes the aura from her time in limbo a few years ago.

"Well… like the Nain Rouge once told me. Follow the light."

She steps through the pillars into blankness.

It feels like an eternity, stretching out every atom in her body to it's breaking point. She holds the boy as close to her in an attempt to shield him from the effects. Just as she thinks she is about to lose her mind she snaps together and stumbles…

… right in front of a pair of speeding headlights. She jumps back out of the way, covering the boys head, squeezing him tight.

"Ow!" He protests.

When it's clear they haven't been hit by the speeding truck, Bo stands straight. The child is now the size of a 6 year old. In her astonishment she puts him down quickly and stares.

"I'm hungry," he says.

Bo, still stunned, looks around. They're standing by the side of a dark road. It is night time and she can see the city in the distance. Far in the distance.

"Great," she says with a sigh.

Across the street is a diner. Before Bo can take his hand and lead him to the neon oasis the sky rumbles and thick clouds move in and cover the stars. Without any more warning that than the sky opens up, soaking them both.

She picks up the child and runs across the street, holding one hand up over his head in a vain attempt to keep him dry. It only takes moments to reach the door and get inside, but the rain is so swift they both are soaked through. The waitress on duty barely gives them a second look as they seat themselves at a booth. Without asking she walks over and pours coffee for Bo, who looks up at her with gratitude.

"Can I get you a hot chocolate, sweetie?" The waitress says to the boy, now looking like an 8 year old.

"I would appreciate that very much," he replies.

The waitress walks away.

Bo stares at him. He stares back. The waitress places the thick white cup before him and he immediately wraps his hands around it for warmth. The waitress pauses with a puzzled look before moving on back behind the counter.

Finally he asks, "And for what purpose do you seek my power?"

"I..uh…I don't."

"So, why have you brought me here?" He asks calmly.

"Actually, I'm hoping to keep you from being used to destroy an entire clan of fae."

"That is not one of my functions." She looks at him. He clarifies, "To be kept."

"One of?" She prompts.

"There are four functions of the Bharma Astra."

"Oh great," she mutters, "You refer to yourself in the third person. My favorite."

He continues, ignoring her, "Beginning, creation, completion, destruction."

"Wow. So much… in one tiny body."

"Did you bring me your most cherished?" He asks, still calm.

"My what?"

"A sacrifice is required to earn my services."

She stares at him a moment and then says, "I already told you, I don't want to.. activate you."

"But you woke me. Regardless of intentions, you pay the consequences unless I am used."

"The what…? And why do you keep getting older?"

"The countdown has begun." He blows on the hot chocolate.

"Oh I don't like the sound of that."

His eyes study her face for a moment. "You are unlike anyone that has ever come for me. You're very trusting."

"You've been activated before?"

"Indeed."

"How exactly does that work?"

"The path to the Bharma Astra…"

She holds up one hand to interrupt. "Could you please stop doing that?"

"But I am the Bharma Astra."

"How about we just call you Asa."

He ponders the new name, roles it around in his mind. "Acceptable. … The path to the Asa…"

Bo sighs, "Oh boy."

"…is one of great cost to ensure only the most dedicated, those in greatest need, have access to my powers. Once I have been retrieved the fae, if their offering is worthy, have only until my lifespan in this dimension in order to active my powers, for good or for ill."

"And if you aren't… activated?" She asks.

"My time ends and the initiator takes my place."

"Whoa. I what?"

"Great cost, " he reminds her. Then he picks up the mug with both hands and takes a large, loud slurp of the cocoa. "Mmmm. This concoction is delicious!" He says, now sporting a chocolate mustache.

"Great."

She motions for the waitress for refills and then pulls out her phone.

"Tamsin. I need a favor…"


	4. Chapter 4

9

Lucas is pouring over Lauren's books still while she's at the counter, her equipment set up and is doing a science.

There's a knock at the door. At first neither of them moves.

"Lauren, it's Dyson. Bo sent me."

Lucas mouths, 'Bo?'

Lauren shushes him and moves to the door. She opens it, but not all the way.

"Oh, hi Dyson. Why... what's wrong? Is Bo ok?" she asks, genuinely concerned.

"She asked me to see if you were. She's been calling you. You haven't answered."

"She has? I... my phone must be shut off." Lauren says, sincerely puzzled.

Dyson senses something is wrong, but continues. "You know how she's been since..." he trails off.

Lauren bows her head. They stand in silent grief for a moment.

"Yeah," she agrees, and then asks. "How is she doing?"

Dyson realizes it pains Lauren that she has to ask, that she doesn't know herself. But Bo has been avoiding them both since the night Kenzi died. Her interactions with them have been cursory at best.

"She just needs some time, Doc." He reassures her. Lauren smiles at his effort. "But, I'm also concerned about you." She's slightly surprised. He smirks at her reaction. "You've been cooped up in here for weeks."

"I prefer to think of it as keeping a low profile. Especially since..."

Dyson smiles and finishes her sentence, "Evony." He gives a slight chuckle. "Yeah. But seriously..." there's a noise from inside the apartment. Lauren freezes.

He takes a whiff with his wolf eyes. "Lauren... who else is here?"

Lauren sighs, "It's just my brother, Dyson. I'm fine. Really."

Dyson looks confused. "You don't have a brother."

"What.. of course I do."

The door opens wide and standing behind Lauren is Lucas. She is startled and jumps back. Dyson pushes his way past her and grabs Lucas and shoves him up against the wall with a growl.

"Dyson! Let him go!"

"He's fae!" Dyson hollers back.

Lucas knocks Dyson's hand from his throat and with a guttural roar shoves the wolf shifter back. Lauren is frantic, looking for something heavy. She runs to her equipment and comes back with a syringe. Dyson is back on Lucas. He sees Lauren coming and feigns weakness, falling under Dyson's attack, cowering.

With his back turned, Dyson doesn't notice Lauren run up behind him.

"Stop, please! Lauren, help me!" Lucas shouts.

She jabs the needle down into Dyson's back. He whirls, trying to grab at the needle but she placed it where he can't reach. He roars in anger. The sedative works quickly and he falls to his knees.

"I'm sorry Dyson, he's the only family I have."

Dyson passes out.

10

Bo and Asa, who now about age 12, sit at the diner. He has three empty plates in front of him. Bo only has her coffee mug. Just as the waitress puts the check down with another puzzled look at the boy, Tamsin walks in and looks around. Spotting Bo she walks over, eyebrows up when she notices Bo's companion.

"Time to go, " Bo says to the boy as Tamsin approaches their table.

As he stands he stuffs another fry into his mouth, then turns around and is startled by the Valkyrie in front of him. She looks down, reaches past him, and grabs one of the few remaining fries he left on his plate. She pops it into her mouth and smiles, then looks at Bo.

"What gives?" Tamsin asks with a nod to Asa.

"It's a long story," Bo sighs. "But we don't have much time. We need to get to the Dal."

"Isn't he a little young for a bar?"

"Just wait an hour," Bo mutters as they all leave the diner and head back out into the rain.

Bo takes Asa's hand and leads him to the passenger side of Tamsin's truck that the Valkyrie had left running right outside the door. She lifts him in and slides in next to him then buckles them both in. Tamsin settles herself behind the steering wheel and then pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road without bothering to see if anything else is coming down the road.

They ride in silence for a few miles with Tamsin glancing down at the unique fae sitting next to her, his calm, almost too serene expression unnerving her till finally she breaks the silence and asks, "Can I get an abbreviate version?"

"Ah, well, Tamsin, meet the Bharma Astra."

"I go by Asa now," he interrupts.

Bo continues, "I'm trying to keep him out of the hands of some very angry orion to keep them from using him to annihilate the dryads. But if he doesn't I'll end up the new Bharma Astra. So... we're bringing him to Trick... who has a lot of explaining to do," She finishes darkly.

Tamsin scoffs. "You're never going to learn, are you?"

"Not now."

Tamsin continues anyhow, "When has he ever told you the whole truth?"

"Look. I'll admit he plays it close to the vest, but I don't think it was on purpose." Then she concedes, "This time."

"This time? How about every time. He is always keeping things from you."

Bo is angry now, "He keeps me from things? How about you!"

"Me?" Tamsin replies, also getting angry, "I already explained about your fath..."

"You didn't even let me say goodbye," she interrupts, not looking at Tamsin.

"What... when?"

She turns to the Valkyrie and says with all of her anger, "To Kenzi."

Tamsin says nothing for a few moments. Then finally says slowly, "Bo..."

But Bo isn't listening, "You just took her… before I could see her."

"There was nothing to see."

"How can you say that?" She's starting to get louder.

"It wasn't her anymore," Tamsin says, enunciating every word as she tries to remain calm, but her face starts to fall.

Again, not looking at Tamsin, Bo begins to rant, "She was my best friend. You should have waited. You should have let me..."

Finally Tamsin explodes, "It's always me, me me with you, isn't it? You weren't the only one to lose her!"

Bo is stunned into silence.

"She raised me. Don't you get that?" She pauses to calm herself, and then continues, "Even Dyson. He shifts and goes hunting every night just so he doesn't have to think about her being gone."

"He does? I didn't kn..."

Now Tamsin is ignoring Bo, "She wasn't just your heart, Bo. She made all of us better. All of us."

"Tamsin, stop."

"No, you listen..."

Bo points. "STOP!"

Tamsin slams on the breaks and her truck stops just inches from a crowd of grey robed fae.

"Are they nuts?" Tamsin says, looking at the men and women standing in the rain.

"Give us the Bharma Astra," the man right in front says.

Bo turns in her seat, seeing the truck surrounded. She looks at Tamsin. Tamsin shrugs. The two women get out slowly. Bo keeps Asa with her. They both walk around to the front of the truck. Bo keeps turning her head, keeping her eyes on as many of the orion as she can. She looks to Tamsin again, and nods.

Tamsin begins to Valkyrie out. Her eyes grow dark as she moves towards the one who spoke, the one Bo recognizes from Trick's meeting. He doesn't move. The others don't either. No cowering or doubt on any of their faces.

"Tamsin?" Bo says quietly.

Tamsin takes another step forward and tilts her head, putting in all her effort. Her wings burst out in a large fan behind her. Several of the orion to her side step back, but in reaction to the noise, not in fear.

"It's not working," she finally says. Tamsin relaxes and returns to her normal form and continues, "Damn it." She turns to Bo. "They're blind."

Bo raises her brows in question. Tamsin shrugs.

"Give us the weapon," he repeats.

"You don't need to do this." Bo says, and puts her arm around Asa protectively. He has grown so much that his head is now even with her shoulder.

The orion says nothing in reply, but the two fae on either side of him hold up golden weapons similar to a bow.

"Ooo," Tamsin says with respect. "Atlatls. Old school."

"An atlwhatl?" Bo asks.

Before Tamsin can reply, they two blind fae shoot arrows at the women. They each hit their mark and the arrows explode into a shower of golden sparks on impact. Both fall in heaps on the road in the pouring rain.

11

Dyson wakes up tied to a chair. His head is pounding and his muscles ache from sleeping in such a retrained position. "Oh god. What did you do?" he mutters, his eyes still closed.

Lauren is sitting in front of him. She pulls one eyelid up and shines a small flashlight into his eyes, one at a time. "You'll be fine." She says without much sympathy even as he winces away from the intrusion of light.

His blinks and forces his eyes open. Slowly they focus and he sees Lucas sitting at Lauren's breakfast bar, with a bag of ice over his eye, looking pathetic and wounded. Dyson struggles to stand up but is bound by a chain. He growls, and then calms himself. Then he realizes that the sky behind Lauren is brighter than it was when he arrived.

"How long was I out?" he demands.

"All night, big guy!" Lucas shouts from his position as far away from Dyson as he can be in Lauren's small apartment. "And we've been busy!" he boasts. Lauren shoots him a warning look.

"Lauren," Dyson asks, still groggy, "What are you doing?"

"What did you expect? You come charging in here and attack my brother."

"He's not your brother," he says slowly.

"He's not Lauren Lewis's brother." She corrects him.

"You're not making sense."

From across the room Lucas calls out. "Maybe you shouldn't be near him now that's awake." He stands and moves closer, wincing in pain as he does so.

"It's alright Lucas. The chain will hold." She says, almost absently as she busies herself with various tools and instruments in her bag on the dining table behind Dyson.

"I'm not even going to ask why you have these." Dyson comments.

"What are you doing? Getting some of his DNA too?" He moves even closer.

Dyson looks up at Lauren and Lucas and struggles against his bounds again. "Untie me!" He growls. Both humans take a step back.

"No," Lauren answers her brother calmly. "I don't need to. I already have it."

"What about this Bo person. Do you have hers?"

"I do. Why, what are you thinking?"

Lucas puts his hand on Lauren's arm, and his eyes change. "I think Bo is on her way to hurt you and you should be prepared."

"No... she's... I" she whispers, frowning.

"She was the one that sent the wolves after me, Lauren. See? She sent him too."

"She wouldn't do that," she insists, even while entranced.

"Yes! Lauren, listen to me... you have to fight his influence!" Dyson yells.

"We have to stop her." Lucas says softly. She shakes her head, frowning. Lucas becomes annoyed and pushes harder, "She's dangerous. She's trying to kill me." Lauren sways and then finally nods. Lucas slumps back from the effort but recovers just as Lauren shakes off the spell and opens her eyes.

He kneels down in front of Dyson as renews his struggles. Unable to move to avoid his touch, Lucas places one hand on Dyson's exposed arm, "Tell me about this Bo. Who is she?"

Dyson shakes his head and growls for a moment, attempting to surrender his consciousness to his wolf. But Lucas's power overwhelms him and curls around and into Dyson's mind, pulling it forward and into his command.

"She's everything," Dyson says quietly. Lucas rolls his eyes. "She's beautiful, smart, fun, impulsive. She's loyal." Dyson looks up, completely immersed in Lucas's power, but says with a coldness and a smile, "And when she finds out what you've done to Lauren she's going to tear you apart."

Lucas looks up at Lauren with an expression that said, "See?" but she just frowns. Lucas turns back to Dyson, "And? Loyal? There's a part of you that hesitated when you said that. Why?"

Dyson shakes his head and growls. Lucas moves closer to the struggling shifter, "Tell me," he demands. 

The words are pulled from Dyson and each seems to cause him physical pain as he says them, "She didn't try to get my love back," he spits out, but even as he reveals this apparent failing in Bo, Lucas can sense that Dyson feels even uttering the words is a betrayal to her. He wonders for a moment just how formidable she must be if one as strong as Dyson could feel such loyalty to willingly turn such a traumatic experience around and onto himself. "It was my choice," Dyson insists, gathering strength in his memory and passion for Bo. "I gave it willingly to save her. I'd do it again," he says, his voice getting stronger.

Lucas stands slowly then slumps back into another of the chairs. He pulls it forward with some effort, the use of his power clearly causing a drain.

"I don't think I've ever come across two people as stubborn," he mutters, then settles himself across from Dyson.

Lauren steps forward, confused, "Lucas, I don't under..."

He grabs her hand and looks up at her. Deciding to avoid the subject of this mysterious woman that inspired such resistance in both Dyson and Lauren, he focuses on the science, "I think you should go back to finishing those serums. I don't think we have much time." She nods her head and without even glancing at Dyson walks back to her breakfast bar and continues her work.

"This is going to take some time," Lucas says as he turns his attention back to Dyson and takes a deep breath, "She tricked you into the sacrifice. Don't you remember..? 


	5. Chapter 5

12

Bo pushed her face from the asphalt with a groan. "What the hell?"

Tamsin starts to stir beside her, puts her hand to her head and swears. The two women get up slowly, sore from resting on the unforgiving roadway. Tamsin dusts off her jacket and mutters to herself.

Bo asks, "Are you ok?"

"Yes", she says clearly annoyed.

"What's your problem? They could have killed us."

"Exactly. They would have if they thought we were a real threat."

Bo stares at her for a moment. "You're offended?"

Tamsin glares. "Never mind."

Bo asks, "How long do you think we've been out?"

Tamsin looks up, notes the now clear sky and the glow on the horizon, "Just a few hours."

"Then we don't have much time... we have to find them."

They hop in the truck and Tamsin reaches over and pulls Bo's phone from her cleavage.

"Hey," she protests, indigent. Tamsin pulls up a weather app.

Bo laughs, "Do not tell me there's an app for missing fae."

"No. But there is one for weather." Tamsin holds it up in triumph, "... and only one spot in town is it currently raining."

Tamsin is grinning and Bo snarks, snatching back her phone, "Don't get too full of yourself, Jobs." Bo then notes how far the little blob of red is compared to where they currently are. "This is an hour away!" she moans, "He'll be an old man by the time we get there."

Tamsin looks at Bo confused, "That better not be a comment on my driving." She starts the truck and pulls out, "What are we going to do once we find them?"

"I'm working on it." Bo calls Trick. Bo notes Tamsin rolling her eyes at the mention of his name.

"Hey, it's me," she says when Trick answers.

Tamsin can hear Trick through the speakerphone. "Bo. Are you alright? Do you have the Bharma Astra with you?"

She explains, reluctantly, "Uh, small complication... the Orion found us and took him."

Trick sighs. Tamsin's brow furrows as she mutters, "Like he'd do any better."

Bo ignores her and continues, "I know where they are. But I need to know what you found about amrita."

Trick pauses. "Not much that I think can help. I found one story about a fae sprite that had been tricked by a jealous king into taken amrita and was then encased in a elgon olive tree."

"Encased?" she asks.

"Yes. The story goes that a villager was about to cut down the tree but met the spirit of the sprite that implored him not too and promised him true love and good fortune in return for leaving the tree standing. The villager naturally agreed and enjoyed many years of good crops and adventure and even married the king's favorite daughter who thought she would never find true love because of her horrible father but when the villager was away the princess came upon the same tree and needed wood to make for her beloved husband a new lute but as soon as she did the sprite perished and all that he bestowed up on the villager disappeared, including her love of him."

Bo is silent a moment, then asks, "Isn't that the name of the leader of the fae in the Congo called The Elgon?"

"Yes. They are a sacred tree after all. There's a grove of the trees on dryad land. Why?"

Bo pauses again, thinking. Tamsin looks at Bo, waiting. Finally Bo says, "I think I know where the children are."

13

The sun had broken over the horizon a half hour previous but Tamsin and Bo drove back into darkness when they entered the storm that led them to the Bharma Astra and the orion fae that had stolen him from them. The storm was small, covering only one city block, but the rain fell in sheets and made visibility near impossible when Tamsin stopped that the intersection at the exact center of the rainfall. Both peer at the cluster of buildings as if their eyes alone would be enough to see through the rain and the bricks to locate their quarry.

"Which one?" Bo asks, trying to make sense of the vague building shaped lumps.

"That one," Tamsin decides as she points to one a few buildings into the block from the main street.

"Are you sure?" Bo asks. Tamsin answers by swinging the truck to the right, then makes a sharp U turn to pull up parallel to the curb in front of her choice. A brick building in mid construction with a chain link fence blocking it's façade from the sidewalk and tarps attached to the fence announcing the buildings completion three years ago.

"It's the one I would chose, " she says finally, "Hiding in plain site, but the fence here hides entrance and egress. Plus," she points out with knowing smile, "No lights."

Bo looks over the short, dark building. It hulked in the depressing weather and vaguely reminded Bo of an angry toad. Shaking her head against such ridiculous thoughts, she starts to open the door.

"Well, alright," Bo says, then turns when Tamsin hesitates, eyeing the rain ruefully. She laughs at the Valkyrie's reluctance, "Oh come on. Neither of us are made of sugar."

Tamsin glowers at Bo, then gets out of the truck, instantly stepping into a puddle that rises above her ankle boots. She takes a deep breath and swallows her anger. She moves instantly to the break in the fence that she spotted as she parked the truck and pushed it open to let Bo through and then follows right behind her. Both are confronted with an expanse of thick mud, created by the relentless rain and the passing of many feet.

In unison both women grumble, "Great," and slog through, trying in vain to keep themselves as mud free as possible.

Once inside, both try and shake off as much of the rain water as they can. Tamsin runs her hands over her jacket and throw the rain of her hands while Bo wrings at her soaked hair. They take stock of the building but can barely see, the street lights triggered by the dark of the rain barely penetrating. Bo pulls out her phone and turns it on, holding it out in front of her like a flashlight.

"Well, at least we have nice muddy footprints to follow," she says, trying to stay positive. Tamsin decides to not respond.

It isn't long before the trail leads down into tunnels underneath the building, found after pushing aside a false wall, and very quickly Bo loses track of how many turns they had made and knows that if she had to she probably couldn't find her way back out on her own. The constant darkness, with exception to what is being thrown by her phone, plays with her sense of time and with each step she grows more anxious that they'll be too later. That the orion will have been successful and Asa accepts their offer and destroys Elek's clan, or that the didn't, but this life cycle is near it's end and she'll end up taking his place. She can't decide which would be worse.

Her frustration nearly overwhelms her and she snaps when Tamsin grabs her by the arm, "What?"

Tamsin squeezes, the short burst of pain bringing Bo back to her senses. She puts one finger to her lips to quiet Bo then says quietly. "You can't hear it?"

Bo turns in the direction Tamsin had nodded and listens as hard as she can. At first she can't make out anything past the rush of blood in her own ears, but then faintly the humming of several voices reaches her.

They both listen for a moment, but then Tamsin grows concerned. "They're planning a sacrifice."

They round a corner and spy several orion gathered to one side with six standing separate and the leader, Delius, between them with the Bharma Astra, now looking to be in his late 20s.

"...we offer these, our best warriors, in exchange for justice for all of our people."

The Bharma Astra walks over to the willing lambs who can sense his presence even if they can't see him. He sees Bo and Tamsin behind the crowd and smiles slightly, but turns away before Bo can be sure. He walks around the warriors, all young and strong, and makes appreciative noises.

"They are indeed very fine, and I admire their willingness to give their lives for their clan." The gathered crowd sighs in relief. The Bharam Astra continues, "But I do not accept."

There is much grumbling in the crowd, even among the ones offering themselves. They take umbrage at his refusal.

"Wow." Bo comments pointedly to Tamsin, "What is it with the fae really not liking it when they aren't found worthy of being put to death?"

Tamsin glowers at her but says nothing. The leader calls for silence, then turns to Asa, "Then tell us! Tell us what you would accept. Do you require more in number?"

A few more from the crowd willingly step forward.

"No," Asa says evenly.

Bo comes out from behind her hiding place. "I know what he'll accept."

They turn, angry, but Delius orders them silent. He confronts Bo, "We spared your life, succubus. Yours and your Valkyrie."

"Hey," Tamsin snaps, "I don't belong to anyone."

"Tell us. I demand it."

Bo moves closer to Asa, then turns to face the gathered crowd of Orion. "Your children."

They are stunned into silence but then protest loudly. The leader scoffs and says with anger, "Our children are gone."

She ignores Delius and turns to Asa, "Their children? Do you accept?"

He bows his head. "I do."

The Orion erupt in outrage. Some demanding their children. Others still calling for the blood of the dryads.

Bo turns to Delius, "They are on the very land you wish to destroy, entombed in the sacred trees of the dryads, placed there by the garuda. You can have vengeance or family. You can't have both."

The orion leader is clearly torn as are the rest of the clan. Many of the parents are weeping in fear of the choice that might be made while others would rather give up their lives if it means destroying their enemies.

When he doesn't answer, she smiles, "Or..." Bo continues and turns to Asa again with a mischievous grin, "I can offer my own sacrifice," Asa raises a daring brow, "and make you mine."

Tamsin starts to move forward, alarmed, "Bo.. what are you doing?"

"My humanity," she offers quietly.

"Bo, don't!" Tamins says urgently.

He stares at her, now in his mid 30s. "You would give up that which you hold most dear? For fae you barely know?"

"I would," she says firmly. "If they don't chose I lose anyhow, becoming a weapon like you. I can't do that. Maybe that makes my choice selfish too."

"No. I do not believe so. And therefore I accept," he says, clearly affected by her selflessness.

Tamsin tries to run forward but is held back by the orion warriors nearest her. "Bo... you don't know what you are doing! You'll be underfae! What about Kenzi?"

The last hits Bo hard and she says with tears in her eyes now, fully understanding what she has done and pleads her case, "I have to Tamsin. They're just children. Kenzi would understa..."

Her words are cut off by a grunt of pain. She doubles over, one hand on hers stomach, the other on her head. She falls to her knees and incoherant noises come from her as her eyes start to glow blue.

"No..." Tamsin struggles, and then tries to plead with Asa, "Don't you see what she'll become? You have to stop this! What if..."

He stops her with a raised hand, "You have nothing I could accept, Valkyrie," he insists, but without rancor.

Asa puts his hands on Bo's shoulders and draws her up to him again as her face contorts in pain both from hunger and from the conflict raging inside her between the Bo she is and the Bo she will become very soon. He asks intently, "Quickly, Ysabeau, what do you choose?"

She struggles for the words, then spits out, "Beginnings!" She gathers some strength, "A new beginning for the Orion and the Dryads."

He smiles, pleased, and agrees, letting his hands slip form her shoulders. Bo pushes him away from her with a growl and collapses again in pain.

The orion turn to look at him, wariness on their faces. The man they went to great lengths to obtain and use against enemeis that visited upon them such a horrific fate was now aimed at them. Asa closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath. Tamsin notes a glowing on his forehead, a soft blue symbol of four points. As Asa concentrates the glow becomes stronger until it fills the room with brilliant light, bright enough that even the blind fae gathered before him wince. But they do not flee or try to shield themsevles but many do close their eyes. Tamsin notes the warmth in the light, and closes her eyes as well as a soothing wave of energy that washes over her as well as the crowd its aimed at and takes her anger and grief over Kenzi and dilutes it, bringing forward more good memories of her time with the tiny human that feels like a mother to her. She opens her eyes and looks around at the faces of the orion and can see their own anger ease.

The group of fae take in a breath as one and as the light fades their eyes open once again.

"I see the truth in your hearts, now eased of the righteous anger. You saved the Seven Sisters and defied the greatest enemy of the fae and it has cost you dearly. You should not be burdened with vengence as well but offered finally your reward."

Asa closes his eyes a moment and through a shimmering light enter Elek, Trick, and the woman Bo has seen in the other dimension, the one Kenzi called Aziel, and a fae woman that Bo has never seen before but could only assume was Ursa, the fae mediator that was both Light and Dark. Trick is startled by Bo's appearance.

The Bharma Astra, now appearing as a 40 year old man, speaks to the new arrivals, "The Orion have refused to take vengeance on the Dryads for past misdeeds. But the succubus has earned my power and we ask for a peace between the clans. Do you agree?"

Elek answers without hesitation and says solemnly, "Agreed."

The orion leader answers softly, "Yes. We can."

Bo screams in pain, and then looks up at the gathered fae, clearly hungry. Trick goes to move forward, demanding of the Bharma Astra, "What have you done?"

Bo stands, eyes glowing a brilliant blue, "More sweets for me," she growls. Trick starts to step forward but instinctively Tamsin holds him back. He looks up at her sharply and begins to demand of the Valkyrie how she could allow Bo to put herself in such a state but Asa interrupts, "Blood King, the choice was Bo's to make," and Trick can feel the rebuke in his voice, not for his anger at this choice but for all the times he interferred.

Trick says nothing, but is trying to find within himself anything he could trade to save his grandaughter. But before he can attempt a barter, the Bharm Astra moves towards Bo. Sensing a meal, Bo stands to face him, growling in anticipation and without conscious. She grabs him and pulls him forward, eager, but Asa kisses Bo and feeds her his chi willingly.

Her eyes clear of madness but not of the hunger. Asa smiles and gently brings her foward for another kiss.

His life essence flows into her, quickening her skin, making her heart excellerate. She feeds on the desire, the passion, but finds within him a gaping chasm of darkness, but she does not fear it. Instead it soothes and exhilerates her as she can feel that if she is just able to look hard enough, his soul will make itself known. She senses an agelessness in him, his view of the universe, how small it seems to him. It appears as a glowing bauble, but one that radiates with delicious potential. She sees him shifting asteroids on a whim, watching calmly as blackholes grind stars to dust. Her perspective changes and she sees from his eyes the other times he's been called forward. Once to destroy a clan of fae in the north, he does so walking naked in the howling winter winds while his hands drip with burning embers to create a raging forest fire. She feels his effort as he pushes waves onto a vulnerable coastal city, his whimsy as he changes the path of a single woman that sends waves of change down generations... and how the change feeds him, thrills him. She senses no evil, but joy, for the destruciton, and she feels his fascination with change and the adaptability of the people forced to endure the changes and how he is consistently inspired by both humans and fae. Lastly she feels his joy when he is set freet to experience it all in his current form. But his power is so great he has to be contained, doled out in small amounts lest it tear apart the universe he feeds off of and in turn maintains, and she realizes it's a willing containment to be the Bharma Astra.

Both Asa and Bo are filled with light as she relaxes and the last vestiges of her primal self retreat. She steps back after a moment, looking at him, stunned. He smiles at her with a sadness she can't understand. Then she realizes he will be going back, to once again become a weapon for another fae someday.

She asks him quietly, "Is there nothing I can do so you can stay?"

He shakes his head. "It is my nature, Ysabeau. I could be nothing else. But we'll see each other again." Bo is surprised and he smiles and adds with delight, "You cause the most beautiful chaos than any mortal I've come across in eons."

"You would know, wouldn't you?"

"Would I?" he says with feigned innocence. She just shakes her head with a bemused smile, her head still swiming with the imagery of his existence.

Reluctantly she pulls away form him and says to those gathered, "Too much has been lost in service of the garuda. No one can replace the time you 've spent in that prison and in hate. But you should not have to live in darkness any more. I offer this in good faith, if once you're children have been restored that the dryads have nothing to fear from the orion and the orion will be freed, having paid their debt."

Elek again agrees without hesitation, and this time the orion leader does as well. Without another word, Bo breaths out much of the chi she just received from Asa to the orion and they gasp in shock and then delight as she is able to restore their sight. Trick is surprised, as well as Elek, however Aziel is impassive but thoughtful at Bo's display of power.

14

The orion adapt to their returned sight quickly and have put aside their delight as the need to be reunited with their children once again reignites their passions. A crowd of the ancient fae are in a small knot of excited voices around Elek, Trick, & Aziel, who are seated at make shift tables with Delius and several other orion fae leaders. Ursa stands near and is leading the conversation as they all pour over details of a hasty truce. Bo is with Asa, who has stopped aging, and Tamsin, who keeps looking at Bo with astonishment that she hides whenever Bo looks at her. Elek separates himself from the other elders and walks over to Bo and pulls her aside.

"I offer you my thanks, succubus."

"The name is Bo. And you owe me more than a thank you." She reminds him.

He smiles and nods his head, "That is true. What you seek is a Lethe spring," He pulls out of his pocket a folded sheet of paper with directions. "Take water from this spring and offer it to your Doctor and she will be able to break all bonds to the fae."

"Why? What's in the water?"

"Freedom," he says, "from those that wish to manipulate Doctor Lewis for their own gain."

"That sounds familiar," Bo says flatly. "Who is manipulating her and how?"

"She believes she was once a woman named Karen Beattie."

"Yeah. I saw the file at her apartment. Wait... how do you know about that?"

"I am a dryad. We can see and hear through any plant life. I was listening."

Bo looks at him, stunned. "Through her wall of plants?"

He nods his head, smiling in amusement at her shock.

"Great. So... I give her this water...?"

"She will be Lauren Lewis again.."

"She isn't really Karen?"

"No. And she never was."

"But why would someone make her think she was someone else?"

"I believe because Karen might be willing to do things that Lauren herself would not."

Bo's eyes narrow in anger then she says to him with sincerity, "Thank you, Elek." He nods his head, accepting her gratitude and turns to walk away before she can say anything more.

15

Bo and Tamsin are outside the building, walking towards her truck. The sun was streaming between the buildings and nearly blinds the two women with it's early morning light.

"Oh I can't wait to sleeeeeep." Tamsin says with a large yawn.

"I know you're exhausted, but can you give me a ride to my car instead?" Bo asks with a yawn of her own.

"Sure," Tamsin says while opening the door and sliding behind the wheel.

Bo gets in the other side. Once fully seated she turns to the Valkyrie and asks, "Tamsin... I thought you didn't want me to go after Kenzi?"

Tamsin looks at Bo for a moment and then shrugs, "Since when do you listen to me? I know you're going to no matter what I say."

"So in there you said that...?"

"Pure desperation," she assures Bo. Then adds, "Hey, I considered throwing my karambit at you to knock you out so you would shut up."

"Gee. Thanks for sticking with plan A."

"You welcome!" She says with false brightness, then asks without looking at Bo, "Speaking of what's usually your first choice... Why didn't you ask Dyson to come get you at the diner?"

Not noticing the effort in Tamsin to keep her voice steady, Bo says "I asked him to check on Lauren for me. Which reminds me. He hasn't called..." Bo pulls out her phone and hits a button. After a moment she pulls it back to look at it. "It's going to voice mail." It's clear she is starting to get concerned and she hits another button. "Lauren's too."

"I don't like the sound of this."

"Me either." She looks at Tamsin, hopeful, "Uh, another favor?"

"What," Tamsin says somewhat darkly.

"After dropping me at my car do you think you could go to the precinct and pull Lauren's history and meet me at her place?"

Still frowning, but curious, Tamsin asks, "What do you need that for?"

Bo sighs, "It's a long story. I'll explain on the way."

Taking Bo's meaning, Tamsin starts the truck and they drive away.


	6. Chapter 6

16

Bo pulls her car to a stop and looks at the direction Elek gave her to be sure she was in the right place. It didn't look like much. When he said 'spring' she assumed she'd be hiking through a forest, not pulling up to a mini mall, yet here she was, outside "Flo's Five River's Flowers" next to an overly fancy cupcake store and a hair salon trying too hard to be retro.

She pulls out the small card that was included with the directions and tries to make out any meaning in the words again, but fails.

"Okay..." she says with a sigh, then walks into the tiny fragrant shop, making the bell on the door ring. Despite her growing concern with every passing moment of silence from both Dyson and Lauren, Bo can't help but smile at the riot of colors of the flowers on display.

The bell must have alerted the clerk who rushes out from a room behind the counter with a large smile on his face.

"Hello, miss! What can I help you with on this glorious morning?"

"Uh, hi. I was sent by a friend..." She brings the card up again and begins slowly, "Eska do stoose, ah beheeith name-change..."

He holds his hand up to stop her and smiles in amusement, and then says flawlessly, "Éasca do strus, a bheith neamhcheangailte iad, scaoileadh ó Cuimhneacháin."

"Oh, it sounds lovely when you say it." Bo says with a smile.

He continues with a twinkle in his eye, "Dí na huiscí ón Lethe Earraigh, agus a bheith go deo íonaithe." 

She smiles. Then he says brightly, "So. You have a human to unclaim?"

Her smile drops immediately, "Ah, no. A human with false memories."

His brow furrows for a moment but it's quickly gone. "Well, let's get you sorted so you can be on your way. Follow me." And he turns without waiting to see if she follows and walks back through the doorway behind the counter. Bo hurries to keep up with him and the darkness dazzles her eyes in comparison to the brightness of the shop. But that passes and the hallway begins to lighten again. She can smell dirt and plant life and hear water. She sees his silhouette in another door, this leading to an atrium that is crowded with greenery & light.

The fae running the shop turns to her and instructs, "It's a short path to the spring but before you take any of the water, you must read the poem."

"This one...?" Bo says slightly incredulous, holding up the card.

The fae laughs and takes the card from Bo and flips it over. On the back words in English slowly appear. Bo frowns, annoyed.

"There are five fountains. Lethe is the last. It is surrounded by the forget-me-nots."

Bo looks at him, puzzled.

"The last fae that ran the shop was a fan of irony." He rolls his eyes and walks away before Bo can say anything else, then he calls over his shoulder, "You can find your own way out!"

"Okay..." She turns and steps through the doorway. Almost instinctively she looks up and is amazed by the height of the atrium and the trees that brushed the ceiling made of glass. Small trickles of water run over and through rock path surrounding plants of various size and shape in natural looking beds that lined the walkway of well worn porcelain tiles she follows. After a few moments she becomes aware of movement and notices several small birds flitting between the branches of the trees, disturbed by her progress; their dance making the trees sway as if in a breeze. Bo notices small benches in alcoves along the path and suddenly she is filled with a desire to lounge under the canopy of the trees and maybe even sleep.

She shakes her head. No. She has a task to complete. She moves down the path more quickly, having to turn her shoulders to the side as the branches narrow the path until she has to physically push the leaves aside in order to make progress. But before the growth becomes too thick for her to pass through, the path opens up into a small open area. The tiles give way to actual grass and the light pours through the ceiling in a shaft of light directly onto five large boulders, each with water bubbling from the top and pouring down the sides to flow into a bed of pebbles. She notes that the path of small rocks that carries the water away turn back the way she came and must be what keeps the plants moist and lush. 

Her eyes move past the first four stones and to the third, which looks to be the oldest as water has worn away the boulder to something she could easily pick up and carry away. The indentation at the top where the water comes out is much deeper than on the others.

She kneels down in front of the stone, which begins to look like an alter to her, but she pushes the thought aside. Pulling the flask that held the lux that Trick gave her just the night before; she opens the top and starts to place it into the water when she remembers the card.

"Oh. Right..." She holds it before her eyes and waits for the letters to appear again in English, then reads slowly, "Ease your stress, become untethered. Released from rememberance. Drink the waters from the Spring Lethe, and become forever purified... Doesn't even rhyme," she mutters slightly disappointed, putting the card back into her shirt. Having done as she was told, she fills the little flask and replaces the top.

17

Bo steps off the elevator and begins walking towards Lauren's apartment with a hurry in her step. Just as she nears the door, a force shoves her to the side into the wall, hard. She is stunned for a moment, but reacts instinctively and swings up with one arm and makes contact with her attackers face. She whirls around to push him back and is stunned to see Dyson as her steadies himself after her blow to come at her again. Shocked to see the wolf shifter is the one who ambushed her, he is able to get his hands on her again and he pushes her against the wall, pinning her shoulders flat and knocking the breathe from her.

"Dyson!" She manages to gasp, "What are you doing?" But there is no recognition in his face. Without really thinking about it, she puts on hand on his hip, sliding it under his shirt till she can feel his skin, and sends a wave of pleasure into him. He growls, but his grip loosens while he steps forward. She smiles up at him, with her eyes half closed and says softly, "Oh, you remember that, don't you?"

His breathing is heavy as he towers over her, but he is struggling to hold back, hold onto his mission of stopping her. She places her other hand to his face and slides it down his check and onto his neck, sending more desire, then moves her fingers to the back of his head, pulling his face closer. Unable to resist any longer, he presses his lips onto hers, then moves his body against her, filling every gap with his presence. He closes his eyes and breathes her in. Her teeth brush against his lower lip, then she takes a nibble, tasting him, and losing herself in his scent and the sensation of his hand on her, his hips against hers, the feel of his hair in her hands, the heat from his skin.

He moves his hands from her shoulders down to her hips, then bends his knees slightly before straightening himself again, pulling her up with him. Instinctively she wraps her legs around his hips as he presses her back against the wall with his body. Taking a breath, he pulls back slightly and she opens her eyes to meet his and sees them full of desire and wonder. She smiles in pure joy. Then she moves both hands up to each side of his head to hold it gently, but firmly, and sends her chi into him, slowly. As she does so, he closes the distance between them again and places his mouth against hers, this time with more urgency.

He then stops. She doesn't move, but waits. Then she feels his lips break into a smile. "Bo," he says with his deep voice, the sound of her name come from deep within his chest, "What are we doing?"

She laughs lightly as he pulls back from her to look at her, with one raised brow. "Fireworks," she says with a smile. "Remember?"

He laughs, then reluctantly lets her stand on her own again and steps back. He looks at her for a long moment, his face becoming serious. "I'm getting really tired of people trying to make me forget you."

She puts on hand on his chest. "Me too."

He steps back from her and towards the door to Lauren's apartment. "Lauren..." he begins.

"Yeah, what the hell happened?"

"She's in there with someone claiming to be her brother."

"Lauren doesn't have a brother." Bo says, confused.

"You try telling her that. He's fae. A mnemenic. He can alter memory with a touch."

"He must be the one Elek warned me about."

Dyson raises an amused brow, "Elek?"

Bo slaps his arm with a laugh. "Jealousy does not look good on you."

"I think we both know that isn't true," he says with a grin.

Bo smiles, but turns back to their situation and jerks her thumb in the direction of Lauren's apartment. "What does he want?"

"Serums. He brought fae DNA samples for her, samples from shifters. And Bo, she has mine too. And yours."

Bo sighs. "Great." She pulls out her phone and starts typing quickly.

"I think the sexting can wait, don't you?" He teases.

"Har," she says while pushing buttons, and then adds, "You're in a good mood."

"Well. You're here. I'm here. Someone is going to get their ass kicked...I miss this. I miss you."

Bo stops and looks up at Dyson and smiles, "Yeah. I do too." She looks back to her phone and completes her message. "But Tamsin is on the way and we can't wait. We need to get in there."

"She is?" Dyson says, and Bo notes a forced casualness to his tone, but ignores it.

Putting the phone back, she looks at him. "It's not my usual style, but maybe we should play this cool."

"What the plan?" Dyson asks.

Bo pulls the flask from her boot, "I get Lauren to drink this."

Dyson takes the flask and looks at it, "What's in here?"

"Lethe spring water."

"Bo, you can't give this to her."

"Why not? Elek said it would release her from her false memories."

"That's not what it's for. If she drinks this then she'll forget everything about the fae. All her time as a claimed human. You, me, everything."

Bo is shocked, then angry, and curses. Dyson's eyebrows raise at the vehemence in her voice. She sighs, "I can't worry about that now." She snatches the flask back and shoves it into her boot. "So. Ass kicking it is."

"What did you have in mind?"

She thinks, "Ah... Return to Hecuba?"

He considers, and then nods his head. "He convinced her you were a danger already. It could work." Then he grabs her roughly by the arm and without another word, drags her into Lauren's apartment. 

18

He shoves her roughly in front of him, but keeps his grip on her arm. "Found this out in the hall."

Lauren steps out from behind the table that is strewn with equipment, closely followed by Lucas. Scopes and vials. A stack of books to one side. "Bo?"

Lucas moves in front of Lauren, to keep himself in between the two women, but turns his back on Bo as he asks, "Is this her?"

"Yes. I," she stops, unsure what to say, confusion on her face. Lucas turns to look at her with a question on his face, but says nothing. Lauren nods to him.

Bo smiles. "Yeah. It's me! And boy are you in trouble if the Dark find out I switched sides and I'm working with you now." Then she tugs at her arm that is still in Dyson's grasp, but he doesn't let go. "But anyone care to explain this?" No one moves. Then Bo decides to press, "I brought the other samples you asked for."

Lauren seems puzzled for a moment. "... samples?" Did Bo know what she was working on with Lucas? Lauren knew her, but Lucas said she was dangerous. She has trouble putting her thoughts together, but Bo continues, "I would have brought them earlier, but getting Vex's was hard," she laughs a little, playing it up as she notes Lucan's face contort for a moment in rage. She presses further, "You know what that damn mesmer is like!"

Lauren frowns more, and then looks to Lucas. "But we already have mesmer DNA."

Bo pretends to be disappointed it. "You do?"

"Yes..." Lauren trails off, and then looks to Lucas, "But Lucas, I thought you only brought me shifter DNA, from the wolves that attacked you in Syria?"

"Wow! Syria!" Bo says, faking being impressed. "That's pretty scary."

Lucas moves towards Bo, his eyes narrowed. Bo takes a step forward, pretending Dyson is keeping her from going further, but feels Dyson loosen his grasp so that her arm is completely free should she need it, his palm only pressed against her arm in reassurance.

"You know what Lauren has been working on?" He asks, skeptical.

"Well, sure. She tells me everything," she says lightly. Then her tone turns hard, "But she never mentioned you."

Lucas lunges towards Bo, trying to grasp her arm, but she moves faster and puts on hand on his throat, holding him back. But instead of squeezing, as she would sorely love to do, she sends a rush of power into him, forcing him to submit to her will. His arms drop to his sides as he grins at her, helpless. "Oh wow..." is all he can manage.

Lauren moves forward, but Dyson holds her back while watching Bo at work.

"So. Who are you." She demands. "Really."

"Lucas."

Bo shoves him down onto Lauren's couch. "And?"

"Lucas Lydecker." Bo frowns at the name. Dyson growls. Bo turns to look at him.

"Luann's husband," he explains.

Bo turns back to him, astonished, "But your fae. She said she married a human."

He glares at her and says nothing. She takes a stab in the dark and says one word to him, "Taft."

Lauren shakes her head, confused. "What is going on? Lucas? How do you know Dr. Taft?"

He pushes his lips tighter together but his expression gave him away. Bo relaxes a little as she puts the pieces together in her mind.

"That's why you brought her mesmer DNA. It's Vex's. You're trying to make him human."

He laughs. "Human? No. I want to tear him apart the way he tore my family apart. I want to make him scream. And I want him to tell me why. Why did he murder my children. Then I want him dead."

Bo gaps at the hate in his eyes, but also at how much of Vex's past she has set aside in the last few years. The Vex that she knew committed such atrocities and the Vex that traded make up tips with Kenzi and slept on their couch for weeks were not the same anymore in her mind. She shakes her head, almost in shame at herself. But that doesn't excuse what he was doing to Lauren now. Does it?

"He was sent by the Dark..." she begins, her voice sounding hollow even to her.

He ignores her, "Do you have any idea what it's like to find someone you love has been hiding such a secret from you? My wife was fae!" he says the last with venom, "And I didn't find out till I came home to find her sobbing on the floor of our bathroom and my three boys dead." Bo is shocked by the imagery his words conjure in her mind and almost out of her shame for forgetting what Vex had done she forces him to continue.

*flashback!*

_Lucas shuts the door to the house and sees furniture upended in the living room. Some toys strewn on the floor, and the TV on it's side. Above the noise of the static on the television, he can hear sobbing. He runs up stairs and finds Luann, soaked with water, curled up on a ball around the bodies of two of her boys that she must have pulled from the water while a third is floating face down in the tub. He kneels down, grabs her by her shoulders and shakes her._

_"What...?" She looks at him with dead eyes._

_"I tried... I tried not to...I couldn't tell him where she..."_

_"You? What happened? Lou!"_

_"He was too strong. Mesmers. But I didn't say..." She laughs bitterly, and it turns to sobs again as she bows her head over her children._

_"You're not making any sense!" He yanks her up again, shakes her. She grabs him and pulls him close, her eyes insane, "He can't find her. It would be the end of us all!" She screams and shoves him back with a power he wasn't expecting. He hits the wall hard, then slides down, his head hitting the sink. She runs from the room and he watches her open the door and run as darkness swallows him whole._

*back to Lauren's*

Now the trio are staring at Lucas, horrified.

"I'm so sorry." Bo says, breathless. Anger flashes on Lucas's face, despite Bo's power.

"Sorry?" he says through clenched teeth. Before she can react, he swings an arm down onto her thigh.

Dyson hollers in warning, "Bo!" just as the needle breaks through and stabs down into her flesh.

"Ow!" she yells, as she shoves him back and she stands, her hand going to the point of impact. Her mouth is open in surprise and she looks from him to Lauren who is standing, horror on her face. "What was that?" Bo demands. Lauren says nothing, but shakes her head. "Lauren? What was that!"

Lucas stands but Dyson grabs him and throws him across the room into the wall on the other side so hard he breaks the drywall upon impact. Bo starts to slump forward, her knees buckling beneath her. Dyson rushes forward to steady her as she crumbles. "Bo!"

With his back turned, Lucas struggles back up and throws himself at the shifter. Lauren yells just as Lucas throws his shoulder into Dyson's side, tackling him and pushing him to the floor. Dyson growls and his hand slashes at Lucan's throat. Seeing Dyson in trouble, Bo is able to struggle back to her feet. But instead of continuing the fight, Lucas puts his hand over Dyson's. "Kill her," then throws himself off Dyson. He springs back onto his feet and with a growl, he charges at Bo. Just as he gets close enough to grab her the door slams open, startling everyone. They all turn to see Tamsin in the doorway, her wings fanning out behind her, scraping the ceiling. Her face is a mask of doubt and fear. She sighs in annoyance and steps into the room, her voice booming off the walls, "I've had enough of vengeance for one day."

The four cower before her as she turns her gaze on each of them slowly. She notes their positions and the damage to Lauren's apartment and decides a salt the earth approach is best. Reaching behind her back she pulls out several pairs of handcuffs. "A girl can never have too many." 


	7. Chapter 7

19

Dyson, Lauren, and Lucas are each handcuffed to one of Lauren's dining room chairs in a semi circle.

Tamsin is closing the handcuffs around Bo's wrists and stands, please with herself. As she looks down at Bo she spots a glint in Bo's boot. "Ooh. I'll take that, thank you!" And pulls out the small flask of Trick's. Bo can't even protest, still fazed by the injection Lucas gave her earlier. Tamsin moves to one of the breakfast bar's stools that she placed at the top of the semi circle of bound fae and humans, places one foot tucked onto the lower bar, the other flat on the floor. Her wings are gone and her face is back to its human appearance. She picks up a folder from the table next to her, one that she brought along with her from the cop shop.

"Tamsin," Dyson says calmly, "Is this really necessary?"

She turns and looks at him, "Can't take any chances, wolf."

He gives her a significant look and then tilts his head with a half smile, "Come on."

She sighs and puts the file aside and walks over to him. She bends down so they are looking eye to eye, staring at him hard. "Just a moment ago you were ready to cut Bo to shreds."

He nods his head in Lucas's direction, "Bastard compelled me."

"So, he's got the power of Christ now, hmm?"

Dyson gives a short laugh. "Maybe I just can't resist her." He says coolly.

Tamsin frowns. Dyson's eyes shift to Bo who is still groggy.

Tamsin notes the way he's starring at her. "Oh yeah... there she is. Just waiting for you. So what are you thinking now?"

"How smooth her skin is."

"Yeah?" She crosses her arms, angry.

"Her graceful neck..."

"Really?"

Still with his eyes on Bo he says calmly, "And how I can't wait to rip her throat out."

He looks up at Tamsin. She's got her brow arched, and then says, "Wow. Yeah… You're staying put."

She turns and picks the file back up and starts to read. "OK. Now for the reason why we are all here! Lauren Lewis. Born 1981, to Charles and Sophia Lewis in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. In 1998 was involved..."

Lauren says with a plea, "Don't."

Tamsin ignores her and raises her voice, "...in a multi car accident that resulted in several fatalities."

"What?" Lauren says, confused.

"Although weather and speed were a consideration, authorities found that a driver with a .05 blood point average lost control of his SUV on the QEW and caused the pile up killing 11 and injuring 13 more. Blah Blah Blah... and here's a side note, 'Lauren Lewis was driving her parent's home after her mother's lengthy stay in the hospital, battling an infection of the lungs'."

"No..." Lauren says, "That's not right..."

Tamsin puts down the folder and looks the doctor in the eye. "Not sure why the personal notes are in your file, but the point is this: you were an only child. The light of your parents life," she says, mockingly, "and being the good daughter you were just trying to get them home. The damn accident wasn't even your fault."

Lauren just stares at Tamsin and frowns.

"I did a little more digging, using fae channels." She starts to read some more, "Relocating to Boston to live with her only surviving family, her father's older sister Edna Burrows, Lauren was accepted into Yale in the fall of 1999 and excelled in all her classes, earning a degree in biology. While on campus, however, she developed an interest in the much maligned science of crypto zoology!" She turns her attention back to her captive audience, "Guess who encourages the skepticism of crypto zoology? Anyone?" She shrugs when no one answers and continues reading, "Spurred on by her new passion, she joined a group of classmates on an excursion to the Congo, including Liberal Arts major and budding photographer Nadia Killick." She puts the folder aside for a moment, "That's an unfortunate name..." she murmurs to herself, the continues, "Swearing herself to the Light after showing promise in the treatment of the fae in the area sickened by the garuda...huh, that's news to me, the elders decided to enlist fae means to allow Ms. Lewis to continue her degrees and earn her doctorate. She was also instrumental in the retrieval of several fae from conflicts in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011. She is loyal and has exceeded all... more blah blah blah."

Tamsin puts the folder aside and stands in front of Lauren, then bends down, putting her face inches from Lauren's. "No brother. No bombings. Just a charmed life filled with tragedy. Aww. You poor thing."

"I don't understand." Lauren says finally.

"Oh god! How can you be so smart and so damn dense?" She points to Lucas, "Vengeful smurf here somehow got himself juiced up with mnemonic power and persuaded you to help him in revenge for Vex making an example of his dumbass wife for getting involved with a human."

Lucas struggles against his bonds. Tamsin moves to stand in front of him, then moves in close. He looks up and doesn't move. "And you. I can see into your soul, human. You had everything taken from you, but you were going to leave anyhow, weren't you? Was that was why you were heading home early that day? To pack your things and walk away from them all and never look back?," he stares up at her, glaring. "No one should lose their children," she says with sorrow, then looks back up into his eyes and adds angrily, "But you are not righteous."

"And you are?" he scoffs. "I may have thought about leaving my family, but I still have the right to mourn and the right to avenge them for lives they will never get to have, with or without me. The truth has consequences, fae. And someday you will all understand that."

She looks at him a moment then shakes her head and shrugs. Then almost without thought she twits the top off the flask. Just as she is bringing it to her lips, Bo's alarm goes off on her phone. Tamsin sighs and moves over to Bo, sitting with her eyes half closed. "Hey. Hey, wake up. Bo." When Bo doesn't respond, she reaches into her shirt and digs out the phone and reads the message. She kneels down close to Bo. "Hey. What is this for?"

Bo struggles to speak. "What?" She says, her speech slurred.

"It says, "You're a succubus."

Bo looks up and Tamsin and her brows furrow. "You're gorgeous. Did you know that?"

Tamsin rolls her eyes. "Bo..." But Bo interrupts her with a kiss, then pulls on Tamsin's chi as if she were starving. Tamsin wants to struggle and pull away, but doesn't and forces herself to relax. Bo pulls back after a moment and sighs with pleasure. Tamsin pushes her lips in a line. "Better?"

Bo smiles. "Much. Now... what's with the cuffs?"

"You don't like? Two of them I got from your place." Tamsin unlocks the cuffs and Bo flexes her wrists. Pleased with herself, Tamsin hoists the flask and says, "To the bottom..."

Bo's head snaps up, "No! Don't!"

Tamsin stops short, the flask on her lips. She pulls it away from her. Bo wraps her hands around the flask as if was made of spun glass.

"What is it?"

Bo twists the top back on. "Water from the Lethe spring. Elek said it would cure Lauren of the false memories."

Tamsin frowns. "No. It's what the fae give to humans after their un-claiming. It would erase all memory of the fae from her."

Bo says. "Yeah, we covered that already."

Tamsin shrugs. "Well, it's better than dead."

Bo shakes her head at the thought, and then asks, "But what would it have done to you?"

Tamsin thinks, "Temporary, at best. But it'd probably nullify my abilities."

"Oh really?" Bo asks, clearly inspired.

She looks over at Lucas, still bound and struggling. Walking over she stops before him and looks down at him as she puts one hand on his face and lets her power flow into him.

"You've had a difficult day. I'm sure you're parched."

He attempts to resist, "You can't make me..." but he is quickly overcome and lets Bo lift the flask to his lips. He drinks. Then looks up at her and looks confused. "Who are you?" Before she can answer, he slumps forward.

Dyson and Lauren make noises as if they're in pain. Bo kneels down in front of Lauren. "Hey, hey. Are you alright?"

She lifts her head to look at Bo, clearly upset, "Oh, Bo. What have I done?"

"It's OK. We'll fix it," Bo assures her.

"How could I ...?"

"He played on your guilt, Lauren."

Across the room Tamsin walks over to Dyson. "And how about you, big guy? Still want to rip Bo's throat out."

"No," he says, frowning that she would even ask such a question.

"Are you you again? Because I'm not letting you out of those things until I'm sure," Tamsin says matter of fact.

Dyson smirks, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He asks, tugging at the cuffs.

She smiles and whispers in his ear as she bends down to unlock them, "We'll see just how much later." He looks at her surprised, and then smiles knowingly.

Behind them Lauren, now free, goes to the table and retrieves a swab and approaches Lucas who is still bound but now awake and groggy. She tilts his head up and brings the swab down towards his mouth.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asks slowly, eyes half closed.

"Don't worry. This won't hurt." She shoves the swab in and runs it around the inside his cheek for a moment before putting it in a protective case.

20

Sometime later, Lauren is busy at her work station while Bo, Tamsin, and Dyson talk some distance from her, keeping their voices low.

"But why?" Bo asks.

Tamsin explains, "You know the number one rule of the fae. This is the one thing Light and Dark are on complete agreement. Unclaimed humans are a risk and the only way to guarantee they don't reveal our secret is complete forgetfulness."

Bo is incredulous, "So there are a bunch of people walking around with years of gaps in their lives?"

"Uh, are you missing the part where they're still able to walk around?" Tamsin asks, baffled by Bo's reluctance to accept the idea.

Bo just looks at her.

Dyson chimes in, "That's how it used to be. But the Light's former Ash," he does some mental calculation, "about seven Ash's ago, came up with this option instead."

Bo snarks, "How humane."

Tamsin is now fully annoyed, "I can't believe, after Taft, and after this guy, you don't understand why it's necessary."

Bo just sighs. Tamsin continues, "Besides, it's not blanket amnesia. It's more like... the fae are removed and normal every day memories are put in place."

Bo ponders for a moment, then asks, "Lauren?"

"In her case she'd probably remember Nadia becoming ill and staying by her bedside until she finally passed away. If she was still sworn to the Ash then she'd probably believe that she took a research job for a few years, but suddenly would have found that she has a new position waiting for her elsewhere, which I'm sure the fae would have set her up with." Dyson explains.

"Wow. How... generous", Bo says not really meaning it. "And now that she's unaligned, like me?"

Tamsin shrugs.

Bo looks at the still unconscious human/mnemonic and asks with a touch of sadness, "What about Lucas Lydecker? What will he believe?"

Tamsin sighs, "Probably that his wife killed their children after she found out he was going to leave them."

Bo just stares at Tamsin, completely at a loss. Then asks, "And... they would have done this to Kenzi if...?"

Tamsin looks at Bo fiercely, "Over my dead body." Dyson crosses his arms and Bo knows it's in complete agreement with Tamsin's sentiment.

Bo half smiles. Not that it matters now anyhow. She switches back to the matter at hand, "So... Lauren could actually be happy?"

Dyson says with a gentle voice, "Bo. She wouldn't remember you. Do you think that would make her happy?"

Bo looks across the room at the scientist, busy with her work, "Sometimes I think so," she says sadly.

Tamsin has had enough and snaps, "What is wrong with you?" Bo looks at her. "You hate people keeping secrets from you. Yet here you are contemplating keeping the biggest secret of all from her?"

Bo smiles, and shakes her head, "You're right. She deserves the truth. All of it."

21

It's the next day. Lauren arrives at Bo's. She has a gift bag on her arm. Bo looks at it with a smile and Lauren reaches in and shows Bo the bottle of wine inside. "Doctor Lewis," Bo says teasingly with a grin and they greet each other with a hug.

Still holding onto Lauren, Bo says sincerely, "I'm glad you came."

Lauren pulls back, "Why wouldn't I?"

Then Bo steps aside and Lauren sees Elek in the living room. Lauren is shocked and looks to Bo with a touch of fear in her eyes. Her mouth open in shock, she drops the bag onto the counter with a thud.

Bo puts her hand on Lauren's shoulder, "It's alright. But... he has a few things that he needs to explain. To you."

"Explain?" Lauren asks.

Bo slides her hand down Lauren's arm and grabs her hand lightly. "Yes. About consequences." She pulls Lauren after her towards the living room.

Elek stands, his face solemn. He nods his head to Lauren, "Doctor Lewis."

Lauren isn't sure how to refer to him and says only, "Ash."

"No more. You may call me Elek."

Bo's eyebrow goes up at the choice of his words. But before she can protest his attitude, Lauren cuts in with an edge to her voice, "Then you may call me Lauren."

Bo smiles. "Well then. I'll leave you two to talk." She turns to leave, but Lauren grabs her hand quickly.

"No. I'd like you to stay. For me."

Bo looks at Lauren. Her face is calm but she can feel her hand trembling slightly. She smiles in reassurance. "I'm not going anywhere."

They all sit.

22

Elek has just left. Bo and Lauren are seated at the couch, the table strewn with empty glasses and an empty bottle of wine.

"Wow," Lauren says.

"You keep saying that," Bo notes with a smile.

"It's just... so much to process," Lauren replies. Then muses, "I would have lost Nadia, no matter what."

Bo touches her arm but says nothing. Finding out that Nadia had been possessed by the garuda before she was sent into the coma was a relief to Bo as well and she was finally able to let go of so much guilt for having to kill Nadia when she went after Lauren. But she didn't want to burden Lauren with the guilt she had been carrying. She asks instead, "So, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about how furious I am," she says after a moment.

Bo doesn't reply, but let's Lauren think. She looks up at Bo and says, "I understand, on one level the motivation. Continuation of the species necessitated keeping the garuda contained and my involvement was secondary. I should consider myself lucky they didn't just eliminate me then," she muses, without much emotion. Bo just looks at her mutely, with sadness on her face at what could have been and at the pain Lauren is in now. "But I was useful," Lauren says with some bitterness.

"Oh baby," Bo says and moves closer to her. Lauren doesn't react but continues, "No. I get it. But now the garuda has been defeated. I played the roll I was intended to play. And now that I am no longer needed, he was simply trying to tie up loose ends."

Bo is stunned at her statement, "Do you think that's what he was doing?"

Lauren looks at her with surprise that Bo doesn't see it, "Of course. That's what the fae do, Bo. They use humans and when they are done with us they toss us aside."

Bo says nothing for a moment, but searches Lauren's face, for what she isn't sure.

Lauren forces herself to smile. "But," she concedes, "From an evolutionary standpoint, it's a genius system. I can almost admire it."

Bo considers for a moment and then cautiously agrees, "I suppose."

"That is if what he says is even true," Lauren adds, almost to herself.

Before Bo can ask her what Lauren means her phone rings. She rolls her eyes, "I'm so sorry. It's Trick. I can ignore it."

Lauren says quickly, "No. Don't be silly. You take that. I'll clean up."

Bo hesitates and Lauren smiles at her in reassurance. Bo asks, "Are you sure?"

"I need time to think anyhow," Lauren says with a sideways nod of her head, meaning she needs to put things in order so she can put things in order. Bo smiles, amused at Lauren's neat nick quirk. When Bo continues to hesitate, Lauren gets up and starts to pick up the glasses to let Bo know she wasn't going to change her mind.

Bo, conceding that the discussion is over, answers the phone. "Hey, Trick. What's up?"

Lauren steps past her and heads towards the sink. She turns as Bo talks and puts the glasses down. Then, as quietly as she can, she lifts the glass Elek used and slides it into the bag she left on the counter and then looks up at Bo to see if Bo was looking, and sighs in relief that Bo still has her back turned. She takes a deep breath and then lets out slowly. She puts her hands to her face and looks down at the bag, and then smiles grimly.

The end. 


End file.
